Long Term Conditions
What we do
For a number of chronic diseases, it is important to have regular checks in order to monitor the condition. This monitoring would often involve a combination of physical health checks, blood tests, and in some cases more focused checks. At Bridge Street we take a team approach to our chronic disease monitoring with the doctors and nursing team working together.
The following information will provide some information on our usual follow-up periods for the more common chronic conditions. It is important that these checks are done, as we will often link our medication reviews to these checks. It will reduce any inconvenience when it comes to ordering your medications if these checks are done on time.
| Condition | Frequency of follow up | Detail | Flu jab recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asthma | Yearly | Review with nursing team or GP. Will require doctor review if symptoms are not controlled | Y |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) | Yearly | 30 min nurse review including spirometry and then doctor review | Y |
| Coronary heart disease | Annual review +/- 6 monthly bloods | Nurse review with GP follow up if identified by nursing team | Y |
| Diabetes | Yearly + bloods up to 3 monthly | 30 min nursing team review including physical checks and bloods followed by GP follow up | Y |
| Hypertension | Annual check and 6 month review | Nurse review including bloods. Review by GP if identified by nursing team | Y |
| Mental health | Yearly for those with significant illness | Nurse appointment for physical checks +/- bloods and GP review |
Coronavirus
Due to coronavirus we had to pause our bringing patients in for their annual review. We restarted bringing in patients in May but with minimal contact so to minimise risk. This includes wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), increasing ventilation in the room (so keeping the door open) and keeping the appointment as short as possible.
Minimising risk of coronavirus must be balanced with the risk of not looking after your health, therefore we strongly encourage you to attend if we ask.