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Antenatal Care at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge

Have you recently found out that you're pregnant and would like to have your care with the Rosie Hospital?

You can self-refer directly to arrange your first booking appointment and scan by downloading and completing the form here or scan the QR Code on the leaflet below, then email it to the booking administration team cuh.cmwnewbooking@nhs.net.

Patients without digital access or who need a translator should call 01223 348981.

Please email your self-referral form or telephone the team as soon as possible following a postitive pregnancy test.

Your Antenatal Care at the Rosie Hospital

You can also refer yourself online via this Link


Published on 26th Sep 2025

Information about weight management services and the availability of weight related drug treatments in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

We are not able to prescribe this in General Practice locally.  GP Practices can refer eligible patients for assessment, to ‘Healthy You’, the provider that has been commissioned to provide the service.  There is a strict criteria that patients will have to meet in order to be eligible ie a BMI over 40 and other health conditions in order to be referred to the Healthy You team who will assess and decide on which will be suitable for each individual”.

For more information on Weight Management


Published on 26th Sep 2025

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination

From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:

  • cough
  • sore throat
  • sneezing
  • a runny or blocked nose

It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

More information on the RSV Vaccination Programme


Published on 26th Sep 2025

Medicine Sick Day Guidance

Taking certain medicines when you are dehydrated or very unwell can result in you developing a more serious illness. This is because they can increase the risk of dehydration and lead to potentially serious side effects. This is known as Medicine Sick Day Rules. These medicines should be temporarily stopped if you are at risk of becoming dehydrated with any of the following:
  • Vomiting or diarrhoea (unless only minor)
  • Fevers, sweats or shaking
You can restart the medication after 24 to 48 hours of eating and drinking normally. Do not take extra for missed doses.
Which medications should I stop?
  • ACE inhibitors: names ending in ‘pril’ - examples: lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril. A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
  • ARBs: names ending in ‘sartan’ - examples: losartan, candesartan, valsartan. A medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
  • Diuretics: sometimes called ‘water pills’ - examples: furosemide, bendroflumethiazide, indapamide, spironolactone. Used for excess fluid and high blood pressure. These medicines can make dehydration more likely.
  • NSAIDs: anti-inflammatory pain killers - examples: ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac. If you are dehydrated, these medicines can stop your kidneys working properly.
  • Metformin: a medicine for diabetes. Dehydration can make it more likely that you will develop a serious side effect called lactic acidosis.
  • SGLT2 inhibitors: names ending in ‘flozin’ - examples: canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin. A medication used in the treatment of Diabetes, Kidney disease or Heart Failure. These medicines can make dehydration more likely and if you have diabetes can cause acid to build up if you are unwell.
Which illnesses cause dehydration?
Dehydration is the loss of fluid from your body. Vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever (high temperature, sweats, shaking) can make you dehydrated. If you are sick once or have diarrhoea once, then you are unlikely to become dehydrated. Having two or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea can lead to dehydration: in these cases, you should consider following this advice.
What actions should I take?
If you develop a dehydrating illness, you should temporarily stop taking any medicine listed here, and any other medicine identified by your health professional. It is very important that you restart your medicine once you have recovered from the illness. This would normally be after 24 to 48 hours of eating and drinking normally. When you restart your medicine, just take them as normal. Do not take extra for the doses you have missed.

Published on 26th Sep 2025

ADHD Prescribing Policy

If you are considering a private ADHD diagnosis and wish Bottisham Medical Practice to take on the prescribing of any ADHD medication please read this shared care agreement first. Not all private providers would qualify for us providing shared care and only those who meet the requirements within this shared care document will be considered.

Right to Choose ADHD service.

Patients can exercise their ‘right to choose’ and ask to be referred to a private provider who has an existing contract to provide NHS services.  This may be because the wait times are shorter.   Details of right of choose providers can be found at https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose

It is patient’s responsibility to find out appropriate Right to Choose provide who offers ADHD diagnosis and treatment initiation by a Consultant Psychiatrist. We are unable to accept shared care agreement via Right to Choose pathway unless the diagnosis and treatment is confirmed by a Consultant Psychiatrist.

Private ADHD service.

You need to be aware that should you choose to be referred to a private provider, and a diagnosis is made, we will not be in a position to prescribe ADHD medication or arrange monitoring. As a practice, we will not enter into a shared care agreement with a private provider.  Getting the ADHD medication must all be done through the private provider and you should check on the costs of ongoing treatment including prescribing and yearly reviews. 

Private providers each have their own referral process and you should refer to their websites for more information.  We may need information from you in order to complete a referral to a private provider on your behalf.  Failure to respond to a request for information about your referral in a timely manner, will result in your referral request being cancelled.

If a patient who has been diagnosed by a private service wishes to receive their ADHD treatment on the NHS from their GP, they will still need to be referred to an NHS ADHD service for an assessment.  This referral will still need to go through the NHS waiting list. 

If the NHS mental health specialist feels the patient meets NHS criteria to start ADHD medication, a shared care agreement may then be agreed between the NHS specialist and GP.

Shared Care Agreement

Right to Choose


Published on 26th Sep 2025

Minor Eye Conditions Service - Self-Referral

What is the Minor Eye Conditions Service?

The Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) provides assessment and treatment for people with recently occurring minor eye problems. It is an NHS service provided by accredited clinicians (commonly called optometrists/opticians). When you have chosen an optical practice that is convenient for you, you can book the appointment yourself.  This is called Self-Referral. 

What Conditions Can Be Treated by the Service?

If you are experiencing:

  • Red eye or eyelids
  • Dry, gritty or uncomfortable eyes
  • Eye irritation and inflammation
  • A lot of recent discharge from the eye or watery eye
  • Recently occurring flashes or floaters
  • Painful eye
  • Ingrowing lashes
  • Recent and sudden loss of vision
  • Foreign body in the eye

You can arrange an appointment with an accredited clinician (optometrist/optician) through the Minor Eye Conditions service.

Who Is The Service For?

The service is for people of all ages. Children under 16 years must be accompanied at their appointment by an adult. You do not need a GP referral to use this service.

This service is available in many parts of England. Search our directory to find out whether the service is available in your area by entering the postcode for your GP practice.

Download our Minor Eye Problems leaflet and visit our website to find out more.

 


Published on 24th Jun 2025

Requests for Non-Medical Capacity Assessments

Patients sometimes approach our GPs asking them to provide capacity assessments for non-medical matters, such as financial lasting power of attorney, assessing capacity to change a will or other financial capacity assessments. Doctors are not trained or indemnified to provide assessments like this. They should only be conducted by professionals with the appropriate expertise and qualifications in legal and financial matters.

If you or a family member require a non-medical capacity assessment like this please contact a solicitor or other qualified professional directly to seek advice.  Our GPs will only assess capacity which is related to medical treatment and healthcare as part of their clinicial duties.


Published on 22nd May 2025

Tablets for fear of flying / travel and medical procedures including CT or MRI scans: Why we don’t prescribe them anymore

People sometimes ask us for tablets such as diazepam for flying / travel, medical procedures and scans to treat symptoms of anxiety. Unfortunately, as a practice we will no longer be able to prescribe diazepam or similar medications for these indications. Here is why:

 For medical procedures including CT and MRI scans

We understand that undergoing a procedure or a scan can be a scary and cause symptoms of anxiety. Some people experience intense feelings associated with being in small, confined spaces such as a scanner. This is real and unpleasant, and we understand why some may wish to take medications to reduce these feelings. It may be that a sedative medication could be helpful in some specific scenarios. However, getting the tablets from us at the GP surgery is not appropriate because:

  1. We do not know the timings of your procedure or scan in order to advise on when to take the medications so that the effect is at its greatest
  2. Diazepam and similar medications can have a paradoxical effect on some people and actually make them more agitated and even aggressive
  3. Diazepam and similar medications can have severe side effects including lowering your breathing rate to dangerous levels and even stop someone from breathing. This is known as a “respiratory arrest” and is a medical emergency. Because of this risk patients who are prescribed diazepam or similar medications need to be monitored closely by hospital staff.

If you think you might require sedation for a procedure or a scan in hospital then please let the team who requested it know. Our colleagues in hospital, if they feel it is appropriate and necessary, will be able to organise a prescription for you and appropriate monitoring to ensure you are safe.

For fear of flying

People can develop a fear of flying for all sorts of reasons and it is understandable to want to seek help with this. However, diazepam and similar medications pose some serious safety issues when taken on a flight:

  1. They can make people very drowsy and even unconscious. This then would stop them from being able to respond properly to an emergency, for example an emergency evacuation of the aircraft. This could endanger other passengers on board the plane, including the person’s loved ones.
  2. Diazepam and similar medications can have a paradoxical effect on some people and make them more agitated and even aggressive, which can be dangerous to the person and other passengers in the confined spaces of an aircraft
  3. Diazepam and similar medications are illegal in many other countries you may be travelling to

There are a number of recognised “fear of flying” courses you can go on, here are some options:

  • Easy Jet easyjet.comTel 02023 8131644
  • British Airways comTel 01252 793250
  • Virgin co.ukTel 01423 714900

Bottisham Medical Practice

March 2025


Published on 11th Mar 2025

Cambridgeshire Families Information Service

Would you like to find out more about different childcare options available in Cambridgeshire, and the help available with funding? Our Families Information Service provides a one-stop shop for information and advice on all things childcare.

What We Do

We provide information, advice, and guidance to families across Cambridgeshire to:

  • Find childcare
  • Understand childcare funding options
  • Find childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and to understand the  SEND Local Offer

Our advice is free, confidential, and impartial. 

fis@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

0345 045 1360

Cambridgeshire Families Information Service Facebook

See our website for more information Childcare and early learning | Cambridgeshire County Council

We also manage the Cambridgeshire Childcare Directory. Parents can use this facility to search for good or outstanding childcare providers across Cambridgeshire.


Published on 28th Jan 2025

Out-Of-Hours Dental Service

If you are unable to access your own dentist in an emergency, please call 111.

Dental Access Centres (for patients not registered with a dentist)

  • Huntingdon: 0300 555 6667 option 1
  • Cambridge: 0300 555 6667 option 1
  • Peterborough: 0300 555 6667 option

Published on 21st Nov 2023

Free Service supporting People living with Type 2 Diabetes (Healthy Living)

Healthy Living is a free, online NHS programme that supports people to live well with type 2 diabetes.

It includes information and advice about:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • eating well
  • becoming more active
  • how to look after your body and mind
  • other NHS services and support
  • living with diabetes, including driving, working and travelling

You can use the Healthy Living programme whenever suits you, and for as long as you need - there is no limit to access so you can learn at your own pace. It can also be used alongside any other diabetes programmes or education you may be taking part in.

Find out more and sign up


Published on 11th Apr 2023

hospital waiting

Hospital Waiting Times

The Covid19 pandemic has added to the strain on all NHS services. As a result of this, waiting list times for outpatient and specialist appointments and procedures have increased for everybody. 

We appreciate that this can cause worry and uncertainty about when you will eventually receive an appointment. The practice has no direct access to the hospital appointment lists.

If you have been referred by your GP/are waiting for :

  • An outpatient appointment
  • An appointment for hospital tests (eg scans)
  • A date for an operation or other treatment
  • A follow-up from your hospital team

You can now use the new NHS My Planned Care platform that is available online and will provide direct access to the latest average wait time for appointments and operations for local hospitals, as well as helpful advice and support for patients whilst they wait.

NHS My Planned Care is updated weekly, is easy-to-use and has ‘open access’ which enables carers, friends, relatives to also access information on someone else’s behalf.

Alternatively, patients who have already been in correspondence with hospitals regarding their planned care can also contact the relevant department or service. Details of which can be found on previous letters patients will have received or by contacting the hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Only call the practice if your condition has genuinely deteriorated, when you will be reviewed by one of the clinical team and appropriate action can be taken in regard to your care.


Published on 18th Jul 2022

Page last reviewed: 03 October 2025
Page created: 12 June 2020