Gilly Crowle , The practice Health visitor has an office in the surgery and can be contacted there via Reception. Gilly is assisted by Children's Nurse Alison on Thursdays, when they run the baby clinic together on Thursday afternoons.

Health visitors work primarily with pre-school children. The first visit is made at about 10 days after the birth of the baby. Subsequently she is available for help and advice where needed as well as carrying out regular child health checks and supervising the child's immunisation programme.

Health visitors are there to help and provide support for any parents having difficulties, as well as routine monitoring of the general health and development of all pre-school children. If you are having any problems do feel free to come and discuss them either in the regular clinic or by special appointment. Gilly generally books her own appointments, however if you have any problem contacting her, if you speak to reception they will be able to help you out.

There is a regular baby clinic at the surgery on Thursday afternoons between 2.00 and 3.30pm. No appointment is needed if you wish to come along for a chat with the health visitor or to get your baby weighed. One of the Doctors is available if needed. You will be sent an appointment for child health checks and immunisations as they fall due, these are normally done in a seperate session on Tuesday mornings. Please try to let us know if you are unable to attend so that someone else can have the appointment.

Some parents understandably have some queries and concerns about the childhood immunisation programme. Unfortunately it is a subject that has attracted more than its fair share of mis-information with many contradictory or incorrect articles in the popular press and media.

There will always be concerns about immunisation, anything that involves giving very small babies multiple injections over the course of several months would create anxiety for parents whatever it was that was being injected. Immunisation is vitally important both for the benefit of the individual child, and also for the wider health of all children in the community. It is too important for people to be put off on the basis of incorrect or misleading publicity. Every parent has the right to decide what they feel is correct for their child, however they must have correct information if they are going to be able to make an informed choice.