We are closed  on 26th , 27th Dec and also 2nd Jan.

Please call NEDoc on 1850 777 911 for emergencies when we are closed.

We would like to wish all our patients and colleagues a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous new year

Background

Acupuncture is a treatment method which uses needle stimulation on skin to treat or prevent illness in the body. The practice of acupuncture originated in China 5,000 years ago.

Today it is widely used throughout the world and is one of the main pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which  usually combines acupuncture with chinese herbs.

There are many different styles of acupuncture, both in Oriental and western countries.  Medical acupuncture is acupuncture that has been successfully incorporated into western medical practices by medical doctors.

At BMC, acupuncture will be performed by Dr Yan Manh, and will be based on three main acupuncture techniques :

• Japanese acupuncture which uses smaller needles than the other varieties and relies heavily on skin palpation skills to locate effective acupuncture points.
• Acupuncture « without needle ». The technique is called “Shonishin”, and it is a Japanese non invasive treatment method for children and very sensitive patients. It use methods of stroking, tapping and scraping with special non invasive tools along the acupuncture meridians.
• Auricular acupuncture which is a variation developped in France in the 1950s that treats the entire body through acupuncture points in the ears only.

Based on acupuncture’s long history of use as well as the limited research available, the World Health Organization has identified many conditions for which it may be recommended. These include and are not limited to :

• Chronic and acute pain management : osteoarthritis, cervical and lumbar spine syndromes, neuralgias, muscle spasms, post operative pain (including dental procedures), headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia…
• Mental Health Issues : chronic anxiety and stress conditions, insomnia, drug and tobacco detoxification…
• Digestive Issues : functional gastro-intestinal disorders, weight loss control, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting…
• Women Health Issues : dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain…
• Children Health Issues : irritability, excessive crying, sleeping disorders, constipation, enuresia, hyperactivity…
• Allergic Conditions : allergic sinusitis, asthma

 

Gabriel is a qualified Hearing Aid Audiologist with over 30 years work experience. He is a member of ISHAA, the governing body for hearing aid dispensers in Ireland and he is also registered with the Health Professional Council in the UK.  Gabriel qualified from Oxford Brookes University in the UK with an Honours Foundation degree in hearing aid audiology. This qualifies him to dispense hearing aids in accordance with ISHAA rules and regulations. Gabriel also holds a qualification from Aston University in the UK for cerumen management (ear wax removal). He also holds third level qualifications in both Electronics and Instrumentation.

Gabriel has a wide range of sound related experience. Ranging from sound processing equipment, noise monitoring and noise protection products through to the hearing aid retail sector. He also managed a hearing service for a national charity that provided services to deaf and hard of hearing people. This background enables him to fully understand the patient journey and to prescribe and dispense the most appropriate products for clients with hearing loss. He is committed at all times with providing clients with the best possible level of service.

 Gabriel will be available for bookings from Early December.

His contact details for appointments are;
Tel: 087 – 9145659
Email: info@hearagain.ie
and website is www.hearagain.ie

Balbriggan Medical Centre is committed to ensuring that the best possible service is provided to all patients registered with the Practice.  We understand that it can sometimes be difficult to get a routine appointment with a GP or Nurse however, one thing that makes this increasingly difficult to overcome is the problem of missed appointments i.e. DNAs.

Patient non-attendance at a booked appointment adversely impacts on patients in the following manner:

The DNA Patient takes the appointment slot of another patient who could have attended.
Increases waiting time for appointments.

DNA Policy

A DNA occurs when:

• an appointment is not attended;
• the patient has not contacted the Practice in advance to cancel it or
• Where the cancellation is so late that it makes it impossible to allocate that time to another Patient who needs treatment.

DNA Fee

Due to a high number of non-attendances and cancellations for GP appointments, we will charge a fee of €10 per consultation for an appointment that is not attended.

Avoid Becoming a DNA

If you cannot attend or no longer need an appointment, please let us know in advance.

If you need to cancel an appointment you can do this in any one of the following ways:

1. In person at the Reception Desk
2. Telephone: 01 841 2460
3. Email – cancellations@balbrigganmedical.com

We are now offering a private smear service if you fall outside the National Screening Guidelines.

There is an extra laboratory charge on private smears, please phone our team if you have any questions and we will happily talk you through it.

Our long serving Administration Team Member Pauline McDermott has been training hard over the last six months and has now joined the clinical team as our new phlebotomist. We would like to wish Pauline every success in her new role.