Noticeboard

Fear of Flying

We will no longer prescribe sedating drugs for fear of flying

Fear of Flying policy

Due to a medical safety alert from Aviation trained doctors; we have taken the decision to no longer prescribe sedating drugs such as Diazepam, which is sometimes used to treat fear of flying, and medications such as Zopiclone, which is used as a sleeping tablet. There are several very good reasons why prescribing these drugs is not recommended:

Diazepam and Zopiclone are both sedative, which means it makes you more relaxed and sleepier. If there is an emergency during the flight, it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences not just to yourself, but to those around you.
Sedative drugs can make you fall into an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as you would do in natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot in the leg (DVT) or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than 4 hours.
Whilst most people find Diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and increased aggression. It can also cause disinhibition, leading you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers. A similar effect can be seen with alcohol, which has led to passengers being removed from their flights. It could also get you into trouble with the law.
The British National Formulary (BNF), the reference guide for prescription of medications by doctors in the UK, states that the use of benzodiazepines is not allowed in treating phobia. Your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health, and not going on a flight.
Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in several countries. They may be confiscated, or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.

Given the above, we will no longer be prescribing Diazepam for flight anxiety or Zopiclone for flight insomnia. We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines. We have provided a number of these below:

British Airways: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travel-assistance/flying-with-confidence

Virgin: https://www.virgin.com/about-virgin/latest/how-cope-fear-flying

EasyJet: https://www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com/about-course/courses.php?s=gatwick#.U-ImGONdWuI

Welcome to Sacriston Surgery

The doctors, nurses and staff at Sacriston Surgery are here to promote health and learning, and we are proud to offer the highest possible standards of patient-centred healthcare.

We offer a full General Practice Service and run Specialist Clinics for children and pregnant women, Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Asthma sufferers and for patients needing minor surgery.

At Sacriston Surgery, we aim to treat all our patients promptly, courteously and in complete confidence.

In addition to everything you need to know about the practice you will also find a wealth of health-related information in the “Further Information” menu. Please have a look around and do send us some feedback if you like.

Learning Disabilities

Does your child get extra help at nursery, school or college as they find it hard to learn or do things for themselves at home?

If yes, they may be able to get extra support from your GP Practice, including an Annual Health Check from the age of 14 onwards...

Learning Disabilities Information Leaflet

Mental Health

Are you struggling with your mental health and need urgent support?

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/here-to-help-summer/looking-after-your-mental-health/

Home Visits

The surgery is the best place for us to see our patients, however we do acknowledge that we may need to see you in your own home if you are housebound.

All requests for home visits will be assessed by the GP. The surgery allocates time for home visits each day and we ask that any home visit requests are made before 11:00am.

Home visits usually take place between the hours of 12:00pm and 2:00pm, however if you feel it is urgent and cannot wait until the next day, please contact the surgery to speak to a member of our reception team.

When the surgery is closed, home visits are provided by Durham and Chester le Street Primary Care Trust at the Out of Hours Centre which is based at University Hospital of North Durham.

Friends & Family Test

Friends & Family Test Poster

Your opinion of our services is very important to us. We want every patient's experience to be excellent, and we use the Friends and Family Test to understand what matters most to our patients and their carer's or family members.

Friends & Family Test

Check out this handy YouTube video for more information on the Friends & Family Test:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGGgRtehV2o

NHS App

NHS app

The NHS App allows you to access a range of NHS services. You can download the NHS App on your phone or tablet. You can also access the same services in a web browser by logging in through the NHS website:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/account/