The Spa Surgery and other local GP practices have partnered with YHN (Yorkshire Health Network) to provide a specialist Travel Health service for our patients and patients in Harrogate, Knaresborough and the surrounding area.
Patients requiring Travel advice are to seek advice a minimum of 6-8 weeks prior to their date of travel as some travel destinations require a course of injections.
The Travel Clinic is an accessible, expert service provided by Yorkshire Health Network who are based at Priority House, 5 Grove Park Court, Harrogate, HG1 4DP. Vaccines available free of charge on the NHS will remain free of charge*. Non NHS vaccines are charged privately. These include Hep B, Rabies, Jap Encephalitis and various other vaccines.
To book an appointment, please call the practice where you will be placed on a waiting list for an appointment.
A full range of travel health vaccinations, anti-malarial and retail products are available at the clinic.
Clinic Opening Times: (Times may vary)
- Monday: 8am – 4pm
- Tuesday: 8am – 4pm
- Wednesday: 8am – 4pm
- Thursday: 11am – 7pm
- Friday: 8am – 4pm
- Saturday: 8am – 4pm
Diazepam for Flying
The doctors have taken the decision not to prescribe diazepam in cases where there is a fear of flying. There are a number of reasons for this that are set out in the attached downloadable document.
We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines. We have listed a number of these below.
Easy Jet – Tel 0203 8131644 https://www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com/
British Airways – Tel 01252 793250 Flying with confidence
Virgin – Tel 01423 714900 Flying without fear
We recognise that there may be a waiting list for these courses, so if you plan to fly before you are able to complete a course, there is lots of information available online, including tips for reducing anxiety before and during a flight and recommendations for in-flight meditation and mindfulness apps.
Advice on Medicines and Vaccines for Patients Travelling Outside the UK
Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the UK. GP’s are not required to provide prescriptions for the treatment of a condition that may arise while the patient is abroad.
For example;
- Sun cream/lotions
- Pain relief
- AntidiarrhoealsTravel sickness medicines
For Prescription Only Medicines (POM), patients may be offered and charged for a private prescription e.g. Ciprofloxacin for traveller’s diarrhoea. The GMS contract allows items for travel to be prescribed by GPs for patients on their NHS list.
Healthy Travel Leaflet
You may find the following leaflet helpful when making your travel arrangements.
Please download and print our useful guide below about Mosquito advice.
Hepatitis immunisation
Immunisation against infectious Hepatitis (Hepatitis A) is available free of charge on the NHS in connection with travel abroad. However Hepatitis B is not routinely available free of charge and therefore you may be charged for this vaccination when requested in connection with travel abroad.
Excess quantities of regular repeat prescriptions
Under NHS legislation, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for people when they leave the United Kingdom. However, to ensure good patient care the following guidance is offered. People travelling to Europe should be advised to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card.
Medication required for a pre-existing condition should be provided in sufficient quantity to cover the journey and to allow the patient to obtain medical attention abroad. If the patient is returning within the timescale of their usual prescription, then this should be issued (the maximum duration of a prescription is recommended by the Care Trust to be two months, although it is recognised that prescription quantities are sometimes greater than this). Patients are entitled to carry prescribed medicines, even if originally classed as controlled drugs, for example, morphine sulphate tablets.
For longer visits abroad, the patient should be advised to register with a local doctor for continuing medication (this may need to be paid for by the patient).
General practitioners are not responsible for prescriptions of items required for conditions which may arise while travelling, for example travel sickness or diarrhoea. Patients should be advised to purchase these items from community pharmacies prior to travel.
Dental Anxiety
Some patients request medication prior to dental visits to help with feelings of anxiety. These are usually sedative medications such as Diazepam. GPs have no dental training, so we have limited knowledge of what is entailed in dental procedures. It is therefore not possible for us to determine which medications are safe to use, so we are unable to prescribe.
Dentists have this specialist knowledge and are able to prescribe medications listed in the Dental Formulary. We therefore recommend that you speak to your dentist if you have any concerns about upcoming visits or procedures and they will be able to advise and/or prescribe where appropriate on a case by case basis.