Plowright Medical Centre Swaffham

23/06/2026

22/06/2026

A red heat-health alert is in place across southern England and the Midlands. This means extreme heat could affect everyone, including healthy people, and may also impact transport, food, water and energy. This is only the second time a red alert has been issued, the last being in July 2022.
🥤 Keep hydrated
☀️ Avoid the sun during the hottest parts of the day
🪟 Keep your home cool
🫂 Look out for others

09/06/2026

Another busy month at the practice in May.

DNA's increased slightly this month and 5 patients that didn't attend made their appointment THE SAME DAY ! Totalling just over 16 hours of wasted appointments.

Our call queue to speak to reception reduced slightly this month, we dropped from our longest queue in April of 32 to 27. Our reception team work hard to answer the phones quickly and the statistics for May show that 436 calls to reception were answered within 10 Seconds., 1207 within 30 seconds.

Our GP's spent their time between seeing patients, signing 9,172 prescriptions.

Work that they have to do everyday around their clinic lists.

03/06/2026

If you have problems with bowel or bladder control, or you have a stoma, you may feel worried about going out. Planning ahead can help you feel more confident.

A toilet card is a card that you can show quickly and easily to staff in shops, pubs and other places. It explains that you have a medical condition and need urgent access to a toilet. Sometimes it is also called a bladder and bowel card or a ‘no waiting’ toilet card.

You can order a toilet card to carry and use when you are out in public. There are a variety of cards available

Macmillan - comes with a fob version that can be attached to a key ring.
https://orders.macmillan.org.uk/products/mac15193_e03_r-macmillan-toilet-card-and-leaflet

The Bladder and Bowel Community also offer a free Just Can’t Wait toilet card and phone app.
https://www.bladderandbowel.org/help-information/just-cant-wait-card/

Crohns and colitis UK membership give you a Can’t Wait Toilet card and a RADAR Key

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-member/cant-wait-card

While they cannot guarantee that it will work everywhere. It might helps you get access to a toilet without any awkward questions.

The Original Just Can't Wait Card gives you discrete and clear WC communication when you can’t wait to use the toilet. Get a FREE toilet access card today.

03/06/2026

Hear for Norfolk - providing aural care for our patients.

We are lucky to have their mobile clinic visit the surgery regularly to complete micro-suction. Referral via the practice.

26/05/2026

Cervical screening updates? They’re in the NHS App.

From invitations and reminders to routine screening results, important communications are now available in one place.

Turn on notifications so you don’t miss communications about your screening.

If your screening result needs further follow-up, you’ll also be contacted directly by the NHS.

More info here: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/cervical-screening/your-results/

23/05/2026

The power to quit is in your hands.

Every cigarette takes around 20 minutes off your life. Get your free NHS Personal Quit Plan today. https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/personal-quit-plan/

22/05/2026

It’s a bank Holiday weekend and the Practice is closed on Monday 25th May.

If you need urgent medical help but you're not sure where to go, use 111 to get assessed and directed to the right place for you.​

📞Call
🌐Go online
📲Or use the NHS App.
➡️ nhs.uk/111

22/05/2026

Due to recent ICB changes to our clinical waste contract, unfortunately the practice can no longer accept full sharps boxes from patients to dispose of.

Patients will now need to contact the local council to have these collected from home.

We apologise for the inconvenience this causes.

A form to request collection can be found here :
https://www.breckland.gov.uk/clinical-sharps-collection