Self-care, support and self-referral
Finding the right information online can be difficult, so we've recommended these reliable NHS-approved resources, which may help you to manage your condition without medical input.
If you're unsure whether you need to see us or not, check this section first.
Note: the information on this page is intended to understanding and awareness of common symptoms, self-care options, useful resources and when you may need further medical help. It is general guidance and cannot take account of your personal circumstances.
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Childhood infections, fevers and other paediatric illnesses
The vast majority of childhood illnesses are managed conservatively with fluids, pain medication and monitoring and without antibiotics, which often do more harm than good.
Have a look at the resources below, which contain a great deal of helpful information that can allow you manage your child's illness or fever safely.
If you remain concerned or need urgent assistance, please contact the surgery - see our consultations page.
NHS Healthier Together
This website includes detailed information for over 50 of the most common childhood illnesses as well as pregnancy conditions.
This is laid out in a helpful red, amber, green format, so you have a guide for when you need to see a doctor, and when you can safely monitor your child.
More on fever and ear infection in the next section below
Fever in children - myths, facts, and when to act
Fever (temperature of 38°C or higher) is a normal bodily response to infection and is a sign of a busy immune system that is working properly. The body heats itself up on purpose because the high temperature helps, in a variety of biological ways, to fight infection.
However, kids usually feel a bit miserable when they have a fever, so you can give paracetamol or ibuprofen to make them feel a bit better if they're distressed, or if they're in pain. Doctors now advise that if the child is comfortable, it's actually better to leave the fever be.
Fevers don't normally last for more than 5 days in a row, so if the fever enters day 6, a medical check is usually required.
All healthy toddlers and older children get fevers, BUT a fever of over 39° in a baby under 6 months old, OR a fever of over 38° in a baby under 3 months old requires medical attention. Similarly, fevers require medical attention if your child has a severely compromised immune system or other serious existing medical problems.
Medication such as Calpol won't always bring the temperature down - this does not mean that something serious must be going on. Nor does the height of the fever tell us much about the infection that your child has.
Read some do's and don'ts and watch a video by Dr Ranj from CBeebies on fever here.
Parents often worry about febrile seizures, which happen only in a small percentage of children with fevers, and may have a genetic component. Simple febrile seizures are typically very alarming to watch, but not dangerous to the child. They are not connected to the height of the fever and studies have shown repeatedly that the risk is not reduced by giving Calpol or Nurofen. Read more here.
Which thermometers are accurate?
For babies under 4 weeks you'll get accurate readings with an underarm thermometer (place high in armpit and hold arm snugly to side of body for 30 seconds or until it beeps).
Over 4 weeks of age, an underarm or in-ear thermometer is accurate.
If you are still concerned about your child, trust your instincts and please make an appointment.
Ear infection can be very sore for kids. However in the vast majority of cases, antibiotics do not reduce either pain levels or the duration of symptoms, and the best treatment is paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Whether or not antibiotics are used, ear infections usually last for 3 days, or occasionally up to 7 or 8 days.
On average, antibiotics harm more children than they help. Only about 5 in 100 children who receive antibiotics benefit from them. A greater number (7 in 100) are made worse by antibiotics causing vomiting, diarrhoea or rash.
They're slightly more effective (working in approximately a third to a fifth of children) in some children:
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Children under 2 who have infections in BOTH ears
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Children who have an ear which is discharging pus
Antibiotics are important in children who are very unwell, or at risk of deterioration due to having other serious medical problems. If you aren't sure, please make an appointment.
Read more about ear infections on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's dedicated web page.
Coughs, sore throats and sinus infections (adults)
Throughout the country, antibiotics are frequently requested for the above conditions — and understandably so, as the symptoms can be very unpleasant.
In the vast majority of cases, antibiotics make little to no difference to either how long the symptoms last, or how severe they are.
What's more, instead of helping, they frequently cause diarrhoea, vomiting or thrush, and may kill many of the healthy bacteria in your gut which are now believed to be important for your immune system.
Overtreatment with antibiotics increases the risk of developing resistant 'superbug' infections - not only in the person who took the antibiotic, but in our household, our local community, and in the population at large. For people who are otherwise healthy, it is usually best to let these infections run their course.
So when are antibiotics typically considered?
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When the person has a co-existing medical condition that increases your risk of becoming seriously unwell (such as significant heart, lung, kidney, liver or neuromuscular disease)
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When the person is very unwell with the infection e.g. requiring admission to hospital, or there are symptoms or signs of severe disease, such as pneumonia
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When the patient has a suppressed immune system, e.g. blood cancer, or on immune-suppressing injections for another condition
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When the infection has outlasted normal timeframes - see below
How long do these infections normally last?
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Cough (chest infection) - usually lasts 3-4 weeks
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Sore throat - 90% resolve on their own within 7 days
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Sinus infections - 2-3 weeks typically, but can linger for up to 12 weeks in some cases
How well do antibiotics work?
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Chest infections - antibiotics reduce the duration of cough only by half a day on average
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Sore throat - antibiotics reduce the duration of the sore throat by just 16 hours on average
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Sinus infection - antibiotics benefit only 1 in 10 patients who take them, and the benefit is small.
Read more about coughs and sinus infections on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's web pages for patients.
If you remain concerned, please make an appointment.
Joint or back pain
Most back and joint pain issues seen are self-resolving and are appropriate for self-care. When medications are recommended, they are almost always medications which are available to purchase in pharmacies and shops without a GP appointment.
The below resources help many people manage their conditions safely without seeing a GP, or you may benefit more from physiotherapy. But if you remain concerned, please contact the surgery - see our consultations page for advice on making an appointment.
Sheffield Aches and Pains
Created by NHS clinicians, this site contains many helpful web pages and videos for a large range of musculo-skeletal conditions
Musculoskeletal Matters
Created by NHS Dorset, MM also contains a large database of information as well as advice and exercises for many common back and joint conditions.
Refer yourself to local NHS physiotherapy
Click here to visit the Southern Trust's physio page where you can add yourself to a waiting list for NHS physiotherapy, based at St Luke's site.
Please note the various criteria that are outlined before you submit the form. See also the information and resources page.
Mental Health Support
As family doctors, we believe mental health is as important as physical health. We often 'signpost' our patients to services and organisations that can provide expert support in mental illness; details of these are included below.
If you need an appointment, please see our consultations page. As well as the medical staff, we now have our Senior Mental Health Practitioner (SMHP) available at the practice for face-to-face consultations - ask at reception.
NHS Inform contains numerous NHS-approved self-help guides that you can read online. Topics include depression, anxiety, bereavement, panic and insomnia.
A similar collection of NHS guides (which is also available in easy reading, BSL and audio format) is found here.
YoungMinds is a leading organisation for the mental health of young people. It also includes a parents' guide to their children's mental health and helpline access for expert advice via telephone or online chat.
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ABC Council's website contains a comprehensive directory of websites and telephone numbers for nearby services for mental health, bereavement, family support, addiction and more.
Here 2 Help App
Download FREE for a complete list of help and support for many different issues in Northern Ireland
Pharmacies and the 'Pharmacy First' scheme
Your local pharmacy will often be able to help with your condition if you visit them - no booking required and no waiting for a GP appointment.
Community Pharmacists are skilled in diagnosis and treatment of many common conditions. The Pharmacy First scheme outlines several conditions (see picture) for which the pharmacist can provide treatment FREE of charge.
Some also offer antibiotics for urinary tract infection and sore throat, treatment for shingles and emergency contraception (the morning after pill). More information here.
Eye problems of recent onset
Most opticians in Armagh and the surrounding area are now registered as 'NI Pears' providers. This means you can contact them for a FREE expert assessment within 48 hours if you have a recent-onset eye problem, such as
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Red eye(s);
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Pain and/or discomfort in the eyes, or around the eye area;
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Sudden reduction in vision in one or both eyes;
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Recent onset or sudden increase of flashes and/or floaters in one or both eyes;
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Something in your eye that you can’t remove yourself.
You don't need a referral from a GP.
This service isn't available for children under 5 and in a few other circumstances. Read more here. If you cannot access the service, please contact the surgery.
Pregnancy
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust based at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill offer numerous services that don't require a GP referral.
If you need additional help, please contact the practice on 02837521400.
Pregnancy contacts
Newly pregnant
Click here for a guide to our local maternity services.
As soon as you have a positive pregnancy test you can add yourself to the list for a midwife appointment using the self-referral form.
Check out Emma's Diary for a detailed guide to pregnancy.
Problems in early pregnancy
The Early Pregnancy Problem Clinic (EPPC) can see women who are up to 16 weeks pregnant and experiencing problems such as pain or bleeding - link and phone number here.
Problems in later pregnancy and postnatal period
Information about the Maternity Assessment unit's information will usually be found inside your maternity file.
028 37561830 (Craigavon)
028 37562730 (Daisy Hill)
Elderly Services
You can directly contact the Access and Information Service on 02837564300 to access services for patients over 65 including:
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Continence services (pads and urinary devices)
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District nursing services
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Occupational therapy
For anyone age 65 years or over who is struggling to complete daily living tasks independently and/or feels isolated or lonely, hold for the operator who can put you through to a staff member in elderly social services, who can provide practical help and support in a range of areas (see poster) and information about home care packages and respite care.
Outside normal hours, contact the regional emergency social work service on 02895049999.
Childhood vaccinations
The most complete and up-to-date information about childhood vaccinations is published on the NI Direct and Public Health Agency pages.
Parents will receive notifications by letter when their child is due to have a vaccination advising them to contact their child's GP surgery.
At Archway, our practice nurses undertake vaccination clinics on Tuesday mornings.
If you think your child is overdue for a vaccination and you haven't received a notification, please check the vaccination schedule and contact reception.
Adult vaccinations, including flu and covid
You will be invited by letter or text message if and when you're eligible for an adult vaccination, such as covid, flu, shingles or RSV. At times we will run other vaccination campaigns. The Public Health Agency's vaccination webpage contains a full and up-to-date list of all current vaccination programs in Northern Ireland.
Pregnant women will mostly receive their vaccinations from the hospital trust as part of their antenatal care. More on vaccinations for pregnant women in NI.
Follow the links below for more information on vaccines. You can contact the surgery if you think you are eligible for a vaccination but have not been called - but please firstly check on the relevant website below.
Urine samples at Archway
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common and usually present with pain or burning passing urine, and having to pass urine more frequently. Not all require treatment.
Follow the links for information on UTIs from the NHS and from TARGET, including:
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what are the symptoms
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what causes UTIs - and how to prevent them
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when to be concerned, and when you can self-manage
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advice about antibiotics
If you think you may have a UTI, you can ask for 'a sample kit' from reception and we'll provide you with a sterile sample container and form on which you can outline what symptoms you have. The form will also outline the next steps, such as how to collect your sample and where to leave it. Please read it carefully.
However, trust your instincts and make an appointment if you are concerned that you or your child/relative is becoming unwell, or if you're uncertain about what's causing your symptoms.
Although we have a very large number of urine samples left to our treatment room, the majority show no infection. On a recent audit, even of those samples which had a positive dipstick test, fewer than half were found to contain infection when examined at the lab.
Contraception
You can make an appointment with a GP to discuss your contraceptive options.
Drs McGleenon, Dr Menary and Dr McKee can fit long-acting contraceptives free of charge at a time that suits you. Telephone reception and ask for a phone call or face-to-face appointment to discuss any queries you may have.
Long acting contraceptives are safe, highly effective, and can be easily removed should you wish, though this is rarely required.
Take a moment to look at www.contraceptionchoices.org. You can use the comparison tool to see how long-acting contraceptives such as the hormonal coil/IUS and implant compare in their effectiveness to the combined pill or minipill.
You can also access some contraceptives online though the NHS partner sh24.
Emergency contraception is readily available through community pharmacies. Most of the pharmacies in Armagh offer this service (link to map here).
Cervical screening
Cervical screening (using 'smear tests') aims to detect cases at risk of developing cancer of the cervix at an early stage. You can find clear guides to the process on the NI Direct and Public Health Agency websites.
Click here to access a booklet about cervical screening in Northern Ireland. Translations into several languages are provided.
When you're due for a smear test, you will receive a letter advising you to make an appointment at Archway Surgery. Our practice nurses carry out the smear tests.
Currently, women aged 25-49 are invited for screening every 3 years and those aged 50-64 are invited every 5 years.
If you think you are overdue for a smear test and you haven't received a notification, please check the websites above and contact reception.
Other cancer screening programmes
Please note that screening for bowel and breast cancer are also available across Northern Ireland, but these programs are managed independently of GP surgeries. Details can be found at cancerscreening.hscni.net.
Screening is for people who don't have symptoms - remember that if you think you might have symptoms of bowel or breast cancer, don't wait for screening - come to see us.
Sexual health
If you're concerned about a sexually transmitted infection (STI), we recommend you visit the Sexual Health NI website. The site contains information on:
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symptoms and signs of STIs
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emergency contraception
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how to access testing and treatment, both online and via the sexual health clinic in Newry.
Chronic pain
If you're suffering from pain lasting for more than 3 months, it's called chronic pain.
Increasingly, it has been recognised in medical research that for the majority of people, pain medications provide surprisingly little benefit to pain levels or quality of life.
Indeed pain medications, when used for chronic pain, can often do more harm than good, by adding only side-effects (such as constipation, sweats and constant sleepiness) and many are addictive. This can make a situation that is already very difficult even worse.
Chronic pain has many causes - but this means there are many ways it can be helped. Modern pain management now emphasises keeping active, understanding pain, sleep and mental wellbeing. Many strategies exist that can help people cope with and even 'turn down the volume' of pain.
We have compiled a list of the best websites, books, podcasts and videos that we hope will help you feel you have more control over your condition.
If you need to discuss your chronic pain with a doctor, please make an appointment - see our consultations page.