There are many different types of services available to NHS patients depending on the health problem they are experiencing. By contacting the right service, you’ll be able to access the care you need while helping the NHS run more efficiently.
Please see the below information for further information about the different health services available. If you’re looking for services to help with social, financial or care needs, visit our Community and Support Services page.
Health A to Z
Use the tool below to see advice regarding symptoms or health conditions, including when to seek advice from a health professional and which service to contact.
Community Pharmacists
Community Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who can offer advice and recommend treatments for many common health complaints, including those listed below. If the Community Pharmacist believes your condition is more serious and needs the attention of a clinician at the surgery, he or she will advise you of this.
As part of Ledbury Health Partnership’s care navigation process, you may be referred directly to a local pharmacy for a consultation with a Community Pharmacist when contacting us about one of the below concerns.
Community Pharmacists should be consulted for the following conditions:
- Aches and pains, such as headaches and muscle pains
- Acne, spots and pimples
- Cold and flu symptoms
- Conjunctivitis
- Constipation
- Cough
- Dry eyes
- Earache/ear infection (ages 1-17 years only)
- Fungal skin infections, such as athlete’s foot and thrush
- Haemorrhoids
- Hayfever and allergies
- Head lice
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Impetigo (ages 1 year and over)
- Infected insect bite (ages 1 year and over)
- Mouth ulcers
- Nappy rash
- Shingles (ages 18 years and over)
- Sinusitis (ages 12 years and over)
- Skin concerns, such as small cuts, insect bites, and dry skin
- Sore throat (ages 5 years and over)
- Sunburn
- Threadworms
- Travel sickness
- Urinary tract infections (female patients aged 16 to 64)
- Vomiting
- Warts
Community Urgent Eyecare Service
The Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) is an NHS service provided by accredited optometrists (also commonly known as opticians). It provides urgent assessment, treatment or referral for sudden onset eye problems, including:
- Red or painful eye or eyelids
- Recently occurring flashes and floaters
- Recent and sudden loss of vision
- Foreign body in the eye
If you are experiencing one of these symptoms, telephone any of the following local opticians to access an urgent assessment:
Boots Opticians (Ledbury): 01531 635126
John and Diane Miller Optometrists (Ledbury): 01531 632290
Specsavers (Ledbury): 01531 633384
Mental Health and Addiction Services
Mental Health Services
Talking Therapies
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies (formerly Healthy Minds) is a free local service provided by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. This service offers a range of talking therapies for stress, anxiety and depression.
Herefordshire Mind
Herefordshire Mind provide support and services for local people with mental health problems.
Herefordshire Samaritans
Herefordshire Samaritans offer a telephone and drop in service if you’re struggling and need help.
Kooth
Kooth is an online mental wellbeing community for 11 to 26 year olds. It provides free, safe and anonymous support around a range of concerns, such as relationship or family problems, school or college worries, feeling low or depressed, drink, drug or money problems.
The Cart Shed
The Cart Shed helps individuals during difficult times in their lives by offering therapeutic support in a calm and caring woodland setting. This can help improve mental health and wellbeing through learning new skills, finding friendship and raising inspirations.
Addiction Services
Turning Point
Turning Point integrated substance misuse service provides free and confidential support for adults and young people around their use of alcohol and other drugs. They also offer support to families and carers affected by the alcohol or drug use of someone else. To contact them, visit the local Turning Point website or telephone them on 0300 555 0747.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Alcoholics Anonymous is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help. If you seem to be having trouble with your drinking, or if your drinking has reached the point of where it worries you, you can find more information on the Alcoholics Anonymous website or by telephoning 0800 9177650.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Narcotics Anonymous offers meetings and support for those addicted to drugs who are hoping to get and stay clean. For more information, visit the Narcotics Anonymous website or telephone them on 0300 999 1212.
Minor Injuries Unit (MIU)
If you have sustained an injury that is not serious, you can get help from a minor injuries unit (MIU) rather than going to an A&E department or your GP surgery.
The Ledbury MIU clinical team comprises of nurse practitioners experienced in the assessment and treatment of minor injuries. In cases where an injury or concern is beyond their scope of practice, they are able to refer patients to the appropriate service, such as A&E.
The Ledbury MIU can see:
- Patients 12 months and older with a minor injury sustained in the past 7 days.
- Patients 5 years and older with a potentially infected insect bite or wound.
However, they cannot see patients who are acutely ill, or patients who have sustained a head injury and are on anti-coagulant medication (as these injuries must be assessed in A&E).
The MIU uses an appointment system where possible; please contact them on the number below. Their hours of operation are 7:45am to 6:30pm every day.
GP Surgery
GP surgeries look after the health of people in their local community and deal with a wide range of health problems. They are comprised of GPs and other healthcare practitioners, including Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), Practice Nurses, Clinical Pharmacists, Healthcare Assistants, and more.
They also provide health education, run specialist clinics, give vaccinations and carry out simple surgical operations.
GPs also coordinate the care and take a holistic approach to the health and wellbeing of their patients.
NHS 111
You can call 111 when you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a 999 emergency.
NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time. It’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. Please use the online 111 option in the first instance whenever possible.
You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation. The NHS 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses and paramedics.
They will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you straightaway to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, an urgent care centre or a walk-in centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist/pharmacist.
Where possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to. If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance, they will immediately arrange for one to be sent to you.
Accident & Emergency (A&E)
A&E departments assess and treat patients with serious injuries or illnesses. Generally, you should visit A&E or call 999 for life threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and severe bleeding that cannot be stopped.
If an ambulance is needed, call 999, the emergency phone number in the UK. You can also dial 112, which is the ambulance number throughout the European Union.
Major A&E departments offer access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. At A&E, a clinician will assess your condition and decide on further action.