Holidays

Immunisation
• Always check whether you need any immunisations or malarial tablets before you travel.
• Please contact the practice 10 - 12 weeks in advance of your travel date to arrange travel immunisations.

• The practice does not provide a service for last minute travellers - within 8 weeks of your travel date or if you are travelling to more than one country.
• If your travel date is less than 8 weeks for your are travelling to more than one country, please seek urgent travel advice from a private travel vaccination clinic:

Oakenhall Medical Practice provides the following vaccinations free under the NHS, where required for travel purposes:

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus
• Diptheria
• Polio
• Cholera – only available by prescription and a prescription charge will be requested by your usual Community Pharmacy.

We do not currently offer private travel vaccinations i.e. ones other than those above, that the NHS does not cover the cost of. For these please contact a private travel vaccination clinic.

If anti-malarial medication advice is required, you will be directed to contact your Community Pharmacy.

We do not provide vaccinations nor blood tests for occupational health purposes.

If your traveling date is more than 10-12 weeks ahead:

• Please download, print and complete the: Travel Vaccination Risk Assessment Form
• Please return the completed form to Reception where we will book you an appointment.

It is always a wise precaution to pack some essential items in case of illness on holiday. Do choose medicines according to your needs and the country you are visiting. If you take prescription medicines regularly remember to pack then too.

Pregnant and Flying

Please note - we do not assess fitness to fly, but can provide a factual statement in respects of the pregnancy for the airline if required. This is a private service so will incur a charge.

Please ensure that your travel insurance is informed that you are pregnant and that it covers your baby if it is born prematurely whilst away.

Tablets for Fear of Flying: Why we don't prescribe them any more

People sometimes ask the doctor or nurse to prescribe diazepam, or similar drugs like lorazepam temazepam or clonazepam, for fear of flying or to help sleep during flights.

Prescribing these drugs is not recommended any more for these reasons:

1. Although plane emergencies are rare, taking Diazepam reduces awareness and reaction times for patients so you risk not being able to react to save your life if you have to escape quickly. You may also put other people in danger by getting in their way or making them help you.
2. The use of these drugs can make you sleep in an unnaturally deep sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep so you have a bigger risk of getting a blood clot (Deep Vein Thrombosis – DVT) in the leg or lungs. Blood clots are very dangerous and can kill. This risk is bigger if your flight is longer than 4 hours.
3. They have short term bad effects on memory, co-ordination, concentration and reaction times, and are addictive if used for a long time, with withdrawal leading to fits, hallucinations, agitation and confusion. They have also become widely used drugs of abuse since they first came on the market. Diazepam in the UK is a controlled drug. The prescribing guidelines doctors have to follow say that that use to treat short-term ‘mild’ anxiety is inappropriate. They are only to be used short term for a ‘crisis in generalised anxiety’. But if you are having such a crisis you are not likely to be fit to fly. Fear of flying in isolation is not a generalised anxiety disorder.
4. Some people get agitated and aggressive after taking diazepam and similar drugs, and behave in a way that they would not normally, which can pose a risk on the plane. This affects everyone’s safety and could get you into trouble with the law. A similar effect can be seen with alcohol, which has led to people being removed from flights.
5. There is evidence use of these drugs stops the normal adjustment response that would gradually lessen anxiety over time, and may increase anxiety in the long term, especially if used repeatedly.
6. Diazepam and similar controlled drugs are illegal in a number of countriesi. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
7. Diazepam stays in your system for some time. If your job or sport needs you to have random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.
8. It is important to tell your travel insurer about your medical conditions and medications you take. If not, there is a risk of your insurer not paying if you try to make a claim.

So we will no longer be providing Diazepam or similar drugs for flight anxiety. Instead please try one of these aviation industry recommended flight anxiety courses.

Fly And Be Calm™

Fly And Be Calm™ is an instant download and comes with a money back guarantee (Guarantee does not apply to app versions).6 MP3 tracks which include instructions, the fear removal tool and two hypnotic tracks. The least expensive option, takes very little time, works on the root cause of your problem. If you are not 100% happy you can get a full refund. https://flyandbecalm.co.uk/

Easy Jet

www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com

British Airways

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travelassistance/flying-with-confidence

Virgin Atlantic

https://www.flyingwithoutfear.co.uk/

Medication

Please check for foreign travel advice with Gov.UK for any restrictions on medication allowed to be imported into that country. e.g. opiates in the Middle East.

Holiday Kit
• Paracetamol
• Travel sickness tablets
• Plasters
• Rehydration solutions such as Dioralyte
• Anti-diarrhoeal, e.g. Imodium
• High factor sunscreen; calamine lotion

Other Essentials To Pack
• Anti-malarials
• Water purification tablets
• Insect repellent
• Condoms / other contraceptives

Medical Insurance
• Arrange medical insurance
• Obtain a form E111 from the Post Office if you are travelling in Europe .

This will entitle you to free or reduced cost medical care within the EU. Take the form with you on holiday. (Care can still be very expensive even with an E111 form.)

Our Location

Our Address
Oakenhall Medical Practice,
Bolsover Street,
Hucknall,
Nottingham,
NG15 7UA

Appointments
Tel: 0115 963 3511

General Enquiries
Phone: 0115 963 3511

Home Visits & Emergencies
Phone: 0115 956 2298