The NHS provides lots of services which are mostly available free of charge. From GPs and dentists to hospitals and emergency care.
Lincolnshire Community Health Services aims to make sure you can get the trusted help and advice you need in the simplest, safest and most convenient way.
There are four different ways to get medical services you require to keep you well
There are also Urgent Treatment Centres at Lincoln, Boston, Skegness and Peterborough which can help with a range of conditions.
NHS 111 is a telephone helpline where if you are worried about a medical concern you can call 111 and speak to a fully trained advisor. For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist.
Depending on the situation the NHS 111 team can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist or a GP. They can also arrange face-to-face appointments if required.
Further information about NHS 111 is available on the NHS website.
Choosing a GP
You have the legal right to choose a GP practice that best suits your needs. You can find and compare GP practices according to facilities, services, access and performance before you decide. Ask friends, relatives and others you trust for their thoughts and recommendations.
The GP practice must accept you, unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse you. These must not relate to race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or a medical condition. It must also give you reasons for its decision in writing.
A GP practice may refuse to register you because:
Registering with a GP
When you have found a practice you like, you'll have to formally register with it as an NHS patient by submitting a registration form to them. The GMS1 form is available in the practice, or you can download it from this site. Forms may vary slightly and some practices use their own version.
When you have completed and returned the form, NHS England will transfer your medical records to your new practice and write to you to confirm your registration as a patient with that practice.
For all information about how to register with a GP practice, visit the NHS website.
GP appointments and bookings
Before you make an appointment to see your GP, consider your local pharmacist. They may be able to give you the help you need, so you won't have to spend time waiting for an appointment. Pharmacists are highly trained health professionals, and may offer a wider range of health services than you might think.
GP Bookings
Your surgery should be able to offer you an appointment to see a GP or another healthcare professional quickly, if necessary. If it's not urgent, you should also be able to book appointments in advance.
Online appointments
Many GPs now offer online services, which allow you to book or cancel your appointment, or order a repeat prescription.
Some surgeries are also introducing new ways to consult a GP or another healthcare professional, including online or over the phone. Check with the receptionist or practice manager for more details.
Outside normal surgery hours you can still phone your GP practice, but you'll usually be directed to an out-of-hours service. The out-of-hours period is from 6.30pm to 8.00am on weekdays and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.
Out-of-hours cover may include some or all of the services below:
Details of Urgent Care Services can be found on the Lincolnshire Community Health Services website.
Dental emergency and out of hours care
If you need urgent treatment, please contact your usual dental practice, as they may be able to see you or direct you to an urgent dental care service. If you do not have a regular dentist, contact NHS 111 for advice on where you can get urgent care.
Pharmacists are experts in medicines and use their clinical expertise, together with their practical knowledge, to advise you on minor health concerns, such as coughs, colds, aches and pains, as well as healthy eating and stopping smoking.
Pharmacists can also help you decide whether you need to see another medical health professional.
They can help you consider the alternatives next time you're thinking of making a GP appointment.
All pharmacies provide the following services:
Other services that may be available from your local pharmacy include:
To find your nearest pharmacy, use the Lincolnshire Community Pharmacies website.
There are a number of options available for you to order your repeat prescription:
Further information on how to order repeat prescriptions online can be found on the NHS website. Other information on prescription charges and how pharmacists can help you with medicines and medical advice is also available on the NHS website.
If you are self-isolating, a friend, relative, carer or volunteer should be asked to collect medicines, where possible. The NHS Volunteer Responders Programme is a service to help support vulnerable individuals who are self-isolating. You can access this support by calling 0808 196 3646.
How to find a NHS dentist
There is no need to register with a dentist in the same way as with a GP because you are not bound to a catchment area.
Simply find a dental practice that's convenient for you, whether it's near your home or work, and phone them to see if there are any appointments available.
If you do not have a regular dental practice or are new to the area, you can search for an NHS dentist near you.
Dental practices won't always have the capacity to take on new NHS patients. You may have to join a waiting list, look for a different dentist who is taking on new NHS patients, or be seen privately.
Once you find a dental practice, you may have to fill in a registration form at your first visit, which is purely to add you to their patient database. However, that does not mean you have guaranteed access to an NHS dental appointment in the future.
Alternatively patients can contact HWLincs on 01205 820892 or the Lincolnshire Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0845 602 4384. They provide confidential advice and support to patients, carers and relatives and can help by providing information about other dental practices who are accepting new NHS patients.
Understanding NHS dental charges
For information on NHS dental charges visit the NHS website.
Dental emergency and out of hours care
If you need urgent treatment, please contact your usual dental practice, as they may be able to see you or direct you to an urgent dental care service. If you do not have a regular dentist, contact NHS 111 for advice on where you can get urgent care.
Do not contact your GP, as they will not be able to offer urgent or emergency dental care.
Dental treatment for people with special needs
Some dentists may be able to treat people with special needs in their surgery. However, some people may not be able to get to their dental practice because of a disability or medical condition. In this case, the dentist should refer the patient to a more specialised dental service. Ask your dentist what is needed for a referral and if it is suitable in your case.
Specialised dental services are provided by the Special Care Dentistry Service Lincolnshire. Community dental services are available in a number of locations to ensure everyone can have access to dental health. These include specialist health centres and mobile clinics, as well as home visits or visits in nursing and care homes.
Some hospitals or health centres also help people who need specialist care and may be able to offer treatment under sedation or general anaesthetic.
The Special Care Dentistry Service in Lincolnshire is largely a ‘referral only’ service providing high quality care and treatment for patients that are resident including homeless and socially excluded groups, within the county of Lincolnshire (excluding north and north-east Lincolnshire) that meet the criteria.
For patients who meet the criteria they offer the following services:
Referrals are taken from general dental practitioners and health and social care professionals. Self-referrals are also welcome for some services. To see the full criteria please see this leaflet or visit Community Dental Services.
General information about dental treatment for people with special needs is available on the NHS website.
When you visit an optician for an eye test, you'll be examined by an ophthalmic practitioner or optometrist who is trained to recognise abnormalities and conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma.
Ophthalmic practitioners will prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses, and, if necessary, they will refer you to a GP or a hospital eye clinic for further investigations. Sometimes you'll be referred to a specialist optometrist for a referral refinement.
Find your local optician services.
Further information about visiting opticians is available on the NHS website.
Lincolnshire residents now have access to an innovative new pain management service.
Building on the existing pain service, the new offering delivers enhanced outcomes for patients.
The service offers patients:
For more information patients can visit Connect Health or speak to a member of their GP practice team.
Flippin' Pain
Flippin' Pain is a pubic health campaign with a clear goal: To change the way we think about, talk about and treat persistent pain. Flippin' your understanding of pain could change the lives of you and your loved ones forever.
An online Citizens’ Panel has been launched by the NHS in Lincolnshire to ensure the county’s residents are heard during upcoming crucial healthcare planning.
Adults of all ages and from all walks of life are encouraged to join to make sure the group is truly representative.
Charity HWLincs has been selected by the NHS in Lincolnshire to recruit panel members. Registration is open now and you can register on HWLincs.
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust is launching a new Urgent Community Response service in October 2021.
Adults with complex health needs who have a very urgent care need, including the risk of being hospitalised, will be able to access urgent support from this new service within two hours. A multi-disciplinary team will provide patients with the care they need to remain independent and avoid hospital admission. The new service is community-based, supporting patients in their usual place of residence. The support available includes assessment and short-term interventions.
The Urgent Community Response will compliment a range of existing options already available via primary care home visits, East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust or LIVES falls response and so on.
Health and social care professionals, voluntary and third sector partners, can make referrals by calling 0300 123 4868, option 8.
The service will operate Monday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm, with referrals accepted until 6.30pm.
Talking therapies can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.
Which therapy you are offered depends on which one has been shown to be most helpful for your symptoms.
Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.
You can access talking therapies on the NHS.
A GP can refer you, or you can refer yourself directly to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) without a referral from a GP.
For further information and next steps click here.
The NHS App is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.
Use the NHS App to:
Find out more here.
The NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board is your guide to health services in Lincolnshire.
It can be tricky making the right choice, with different options to choose from make sure you pick the right one, especially when you’re unwell. Whatever your medical need there’s an option for you.
See the guide for health services in Lincolnshire.
