If you’re between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you should have a health check which we can do at our pharmacy for a nominal charge.
The health check should take around 30 minutes. A healthcare professional, will ask you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle and family history. The check is nothing to worry about and you won’t be asked any embarrassing questions or need to remove clothing.
You can also expect:
The Health Check focuses on:
If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs of dementia to look out for.
After your blood pressure test, sugar level test and BMI results, the Pharmacist will be happy to offer lifestyle advice or suggest you visit your GP, if needed. They might offer ideas on how to:
acne treatment without seeing the GP
Check your blood pressure
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years. Getting this done is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including at our pharmacies. If you've not been diagnosed with high blood pressure and would like to get yours checked, contact or visit one of our branches.
If we find any potential signs of high blood pressure, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation and treatment if appropriate.
Prescription strength Otomize Ear Spray for ear infections without needing to see your GP
No appointments needed, easily accessible location and just a quick consultation, we ensure a hassle free service to all our patients. Simply walk in and ask to speak to our friendly and professional pharmacist about the morning after pill.
Our pharmacist will need to see the person that the emergency contraception is intended for, and will need to ask a few questions regarding the patients’ medical history. This is done in the privacy of our consultation room and everything discussed is in complete confidence. The sooner you come to our pharmacy to take the morning after pill, the greater the chances of avoiding pregnancy.
If the Pharmacist feels like Levonelle One Step is not suitable for you, they will not give you the morning after pill, but advise you to see your health care professional.
We are one of the few pharmacies that are able to provide the morning after pill free of charge to patients who are aged 24 and under, and who meet the NHS criteria. Alternatively, the pill can be purchased privately from our pharmacy.
About Emergency Contraception (Levonelle One Step) -
When it comes to sex, even if you’ve taken precautions, sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. Accidents happen with contraception and things go wrong all the time. You may even just be worried that your contraceptive pill hasn’t worked. If you’ve had unprotected sex or you’re worried about contraception failure, here is some of the information you need to know about Levonelle One Step -
- Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method has failed.
- There is one white tablet in the pack and it is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours
- The tablet contains a hormone called Levonorgestrel.
- Levonelle One Step is thought to work by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg or by preventing sperm from fertilising any egg that may have already been released
- If you are over 16 you can get Levonelle One Step over the counter at our Pharmacy
- If you are under 16 you cannot buy Levonelle One Step at the Pharmacy, you need to visit your GP or a Walk-In centre
- Levonelle One Step works to prevent a pregnancy becoming established, it does not work if you are already pregnant
- You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies, not as a regular form of contraception
Please note, there are other emergency contraceptive options available through your doctor or at a Walk-In centre.
If you do have any questions or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40. It's usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. Causes of erection problems can be stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about.
If it happens more often, it may be caused by physical or emotional problems.
Medicine such as sildenafil is often used by doctors to treat erectile dysfunction. It is also available from our pharmacy. You no longer need a prescription to get sildenafil. You can have a private consultation with our pharmacist to make sure it's safe for you to take it.
Headlice and nits are very common in young children. They don’t have anything to do with dirty hair and are usually picked up from head-to-head contact.
Headlice are small insects, up to 3mm long and can be difficult to spot. Head lice eggs (nits) are yellow, brown or white (empty shells) and are attacked to the hair. Head lice can make your head feel itchy or like something is moving in your hair. The only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice or eggs. You can do this by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb. Our Pharmacist can advise you on the best course of treatment and prevention.
This is an opportunity for our pharmacist to discuss and review the medicines you are taking to ensure you are using them correctly and getting the maximum benefit. We will explain clearly and simply, without any medical jargon, what they are for and the conditions they treat and identify any possible side effects that you may be experiencing. We will listen to you and any problems you are having with your medicines, provide advice and support and if necessary contact your Doctor to discuss any issues that arise from our conversation.
An MUR can help:
Our pharmacist may be able to conduct an MUR over the telephone or for eligible patient
You can have a free NHS flu Jab at our pharmacy:
• If you are 65 years of age and over on 31 March 2024
• If you are pregnant
• If you are a carer
If you have certain medical conditions including:
• Asthma
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disease
How can I delay my period?
There's no guaranteed way to delay your period, but it may be possible if you take the combined contraceptive pill. If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on which pill you take. Examples are:
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives. If you're not sure which pill you're on or which pills in the packet to miss out, speak to our pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP.
Avoid taking more than 2 packs without a break, unless your GP says you can.
There's a risk you could experience side effects, such as:
Progestogen-only contraceptive pill
If you're taking a progestogen-only contraceptive pill, you cannot delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back. You may be able to switch to the combined contraceptive pill or take another medication to delay your period. If you're not sure which type of pill you're taking, speak to our pharmacist.
If you do not take a contraceptive pill
See your GP for advice if you want to delay your period and you're not taking the combined contraceptive pill.
After consultation our pharmacists are able to prescribe medication called norethisterone to delay your period, you will be advised you when to take norethisterone and for how long. You'll usually be prescribed 3 norethisterone tablets a day, starting 3 to 4 days before you expect your period to begin. Your period should arrive 2 to 3 days after you stop taking the medication. Please note, Norethisterone does not act as a contraceptive when used in this way, so you could still get pregnant. You'll need to use another type of contraceptive, such as a condom. Norethisterone may not be suitable if you have a history of blood clots.
How well it works in delaying periods also varies between women. Some women taking norethisterone have reported side effects, such as:
Switching to, or starting, the combined contraceptive pill
If you currently use another type of contraception, switching to the combined contraceptive pill will allow you to delay your period. You may also be able to start taking the combined pill if you do not already use contraception. You may need to start taking this pill several weeks before the time when you want to delay your period, and it's not suitable for everyone. If you're switching to or starting the combined contraceptive pill, you might need to use additional contraception during the first few days of taking it.
Ask our pharmacist for more information and advice.
You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.
Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period, from as early as 8 days after conception.
You can do a pregnancy test in our pharmacy on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.
This service is confidential.
We recommend you consider getting a flub jab If you don't qualify for an NHS vaccination but are:
This service is available on a walk in basis without an appointment and there is a charge but please call the pharmacy first.
We provide the pneumonia vaccine which protects you against pneumonia which is an infection that can cause serious illness and in some cases even death. It is more prevalent in colder months during Autumn and Winter and affects around 1 in 100 adults in the UK each year. Although associated with older and vulnerable people about 1 in 4 cases occur in adults under 65.
Pneumonia affects the lungs and can spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
Vaccination helps your immune system and provides long-lasting protection against pneumococcal pneumonia. We can administer the vaccine any time of year and it can help reduce your risk if you are travelling to a county which has a higher level of pneumococcal infections such as China or India.
We can give you a pneumonia vaccination at the same time as other vaccinations, such as the flu jab.
People aged 65 and over are also eligible for a free NHS pneumonia vaccination.
Contact us for more information.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats we have ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. According to the NHS, in the UK alone, smoking kills over 80,000 people every year and a further 500,000 people are admitted into hospital as a direct result of smoking.
Smoking has been linked to countless conditions from depression, infertility and asthma, to the more serious conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It’s really not surprising that this is the case when you consider how many harmful substances there are in a cigarette. They have thousands of different chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and examples of others being acetone (used as nail polish remover), lead and cadmium (a highly toxic metal.)
The truth of the matter is, we all know how bad smoking is for our health, and a majority of smokers will say that they want to quit but giving up can be hard. Especially without the right help and support. That’s where our friendly and professional staff come in!
There is now more support than ever before, not just in the form of information, but also products designed to reduce cravings and to fight off any of the horrible withdrawal symptoms. One of the developments has been the introduction of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT.) There are a variety of NRT products available:
Smoking is addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. That is why it is hard to quit. By starting one or even a combination of the above therapies, they will give a smoker a dose of nicotine in their blood. This reduces the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, whilst they break away from the psychological habit of smoking.
Our staff can advise you on the best way to kick your smoking habit. By coming in to our store our trained pharmacist will provide you with a free consultation, asking you questions such as how many cigarettes you smoke in a day and what triggers the need for a cigarette etc. By determining your ‘level of nicotine addiction’ the pharmacist will then be able to offer their advice on what they think would work best for you.
The pharmacist may even offer advice in other forms, for example, letting you know about any local support groups, advising you to take up a hobby or even suggesting a routine to start you off.
The benefit of having this support is that we are there 7 days a week whenever you need help, or even just a friendly professional to speak with. It is a proven fact that if you receive support while trying to stop smoking your chance for success is greatly increased.
We can provide a supervised consumption service, usually in the private consultation room in the pharmacy.
Going abroad and need to know which vaccinations you require or need advice on precautions?
We provide travel consultations with experienced staff who will assess the impact of any pre-existing medical conditions on your vaccine requirements. Our competitive pricing and easily accessible location makes us your first choice for all your travel needs
Walk in for a free travel health consultation in our designated private consultation rooms today. We look forward to welcoming you and helping you with all your travel healthcare needs.
We can offer weight management help. Pharmacists are ideally placed to help you manage your weight as they already provide many health services to customers, including stop smoking services, blood pressure and cholesterol measurements and general advice on nutrition and healthy living. Pharmacists also know when a weight problem can be managed in the pharmacy and when there is a medical problem that needs co-operation with the doctor.
Ask us for advice on how to get started.
If you’re between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you should have a health check which we can do at our pharmacy for a nominal charge.
The health check should take around 30 minutes. A healthcare professional, will ask you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle and family history. The check is nothing to worry about and you won’t be asked any embarrassing questions or need to remove clothing.
You can also expect:
The Health Check focuses on:
If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs of dementia to look out for.
After your blood pressure test, sugar level test and BMI results, the Pharmacist will be happy to offer lifestyle advice or suggest you visit your GP, if needed. They might offer ideas on how to:
acne treatment without seeing the GP
Check your blood pressure
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years. Getting this done is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including at our pharmacies. If you've not been diagnosed with high blood pressure and would like to get yours checked, contact or visit one of our branches.
If we find any potential signs of high blood pressure, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation and treatment if appropriate.
Prescription strength Otomize Ear Spray for ear infections without needing to see your GP
No appointments needed, easily accessible location and just a quick consultation, we ensure a hassle free service to all our patients. Simply walk in and ask to speak to our friendly and professional pharmacist about the morning after pill.
Our pharmacist will need to see the person that the emergency contraception is intended for, and will need to ask a few questions regarding the patients’ medical history. This is done in the privacy of our consultation room and everything discussed is in complete confidence. The sooner you come to our pharmacy to take the morning after pill, the greater the chances of avoiding pregnancy.
If the Pharmacist feels like Levonelle One Step is not suitable for you, they will not give you the morning after pill, but advise you to see your health care professional.
We are one of the few pharmacies that are able to provide the morning after pill free of charge to patients who are aged 24 and under, and who meet the NHS criteria. Alternatively, the pill can be purchased privately from our pharmacy.
About Emergency Contraception (Levonelle One Step) -
When it comes to sex, even if you’ve taken precautions, sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. Accidents happen with contraception and things go wrong all the time. You may even just be worried that your contraceptive pill hasn’t worked. If you’ve had unprotected sex or you’re worried about contraception failure, here is some of the information you need to know about Levonelle One Step -
- Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method has failed.
- There is one white tablet in the pack and it is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours
- The tablet contains a hormone called Levonorgestrel.
- Levonelle One Step is thought to work by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg or by preventing sperm from fertilising any egg that may have already been released
- If you are over 16 you can get Levonelle One Step over the counter at our Pharmacy
- If you are under 16 you cannot buy Levonelle One Step at the Pharmacy, you need to visit your GP or a Walk-In centre
- Levonelle One Step works to prevent a pregnancy becoming established, it does not work if you are already pregnant
- You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies, not as a regular form of contraception
Please note, there are other emergency contraceptive options available through your doctor or at a Walk-In centre.
If you do have any questions or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40. It's usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. Causes of erection problems can be stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about.
If it happens more often, it may be caused by physical or emotional problems.
Medicine such as sildenafil is often used by doctors to treat erectile dysfunction. It is also available from our pharmacy. You no longer need a prescription to get sildenafil. You can have a private consultation with our pharmacist to make sure it's safe for you to take it.
Headlice and nits are very common in young children. They don’t have anything to do with dirty hair and are usually picked up from head-to-head contact.
Headlice are small insects, up to 3mm long and can be difficult to spot. Head lice eggs (nits) are yellow, brown or white (empty shells) and are attacked to the hair. Head lice can make your head feel itchy or like something is moving in your hair. The only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice or eggs. You can do this by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb. Our Pharmacist can advise you on the best course of treatment and prevention.
This is an opportunity for our pharmacist to discuss and review the medicines you are taking to ensure you are using them correctly and getting the maximum benefit. We will explain clearly and simply, without any medical jargon, what they are for and the conditions they treat and identify any possible side effects that you may be experiencing. We will listen to you and any problems you are having with your medicines, provide advice and support and if necessary contact your Doctor to discuss any issues that arise from our conversation.
An MUR can help:
Our pharmacist may be able to conduct an MUR over the telephone or for eligible patient
You can have a free NHS flu Jab at our pharmacy:
• If you are 65 years of age and over on 31 March 2024
• If you are pregnant
• If you are a carer
If you have certain medical conditions including:
• Asthma
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disease
How can I delay my period?
There's no guaranteed way to delay your period, but it may be possible if you take the combined contraceptive pill. If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on which pill you take. Examples are:
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives. If you're not sure which pill you're on or which pills in the packet to miss out, speak to our pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP.
Avoid taking more than 2 packs without a break, unless your GP says you can.
There's a risk you could experience side effects, such as:
Progestogen-only contraceptive pill
If you're taking a progestogen-only contraceptive pill, you cannot delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back. You may be able to switch to the combined contraceptive pill or take another medication to delay your period. If you're not sure which type of pill you're taking, speak to our pharmacist.
If you do not take a contraceptive pill
See your GP for advice if you want to delay your period and you're not taking the combined contraceptive pill.
After consultation our pharmacists are able to prescribe medication called norethisterone to delay your period, you will be advised you when to take norethisterone and for how long. You'll usually be prescribed 3 norethisterone tablets a day, starting 3 to 4 days before you expect your period to begin. Your period should arrive 2 to 3 days after you stop taking the medication. Please note, Norethisterone does not act as a contraceptive when used in this way, so you could still get pregnant. You'll need to use another type of contraceptive, such as a condom. Norethisterone may not be suitable if you have a history of blood clots.
How well it works in delaying periods also varies between women. Some women taking norethisterone have reported side effects, such as:
Switching to, or starting, the combined contraceptive pill
If you currently use another type of contraception, switching to the combined contraceptive pill will allow you to delay your period. You may also be able to start taking the combined pill if you do not already use contraception. You may need to start taking this pill several weeks before the time when you want to delay your period, and it's not suitable for everyone. If you're switching to or starting the combined contraceptive pill, you might need to use additional contraception during the first few days of taking it.
Ask our pharmacist for more information and advice.
You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.
Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period, from as early as 8 days after conception.
You can do a pregnancy test in our pharmacy on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.
This service is confidential.
We recommend you consider getting a flub jab If you don't qualify for an NHS vaccination but are:
This service is available on a walk in basis without an appointment and there is a charge but please call the pharmacy first.
We provide the pneumonia vaccine which protects you against pneumonia which is an infection that can cause serious illness and in some cases even death. It is more prevalent in colder months during Autumn and Winter and affects around 1 in 100 adults in the UK each year. Although associated with older and vulnerable people about 1 in 4 cases occur in adults under 65.
Pneumonia affects the lungs and can spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
Vaccination helps your immune system and provides long-lasting protection against pneumococcal pneumonia. We can administer the vaccine any time of year and it can help reduce your risk if you are travelling to a county which has a higher level of pneumococcal infections such as China or India.
We can give you a pneumonia vaccination at the same time as other vaccinations, such as the flu jab.
People aged 65 and over are also eligible for a free NHS pneumonia vaccination.
Contact us for more information.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats we have ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. According to the NHS, in the UK alone, smoking kills over 80,000 people every year and a further 500,000 people are admitted into hospital as a direct result of smoking.
Smoking has been linked to countless conditions from depression, infertility and asthma, to the more serious conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It’s really not surprising that this is the case when you consider how many harmful substances there are in a cigarette. They have thousands of different chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and examples of others being acetone (used as nail polish remover), lead and cadmium (a highly toxic metal.)
The truth of the matter is, we all know how bad smoking is for our health, and a majority of smokers will say that they want to quit but giving up can be hard. Especially without the right help and support. That’s where our friendly and professional staff come in!
There is now more support than ever before, not just in the form of information, but also products designed to reduce cravings and to fight off any of the horrible withdrawal symptoms. One of the developments has been the introduction of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT.) There are a variety of NRT products available:
Smoking is addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. That is why it is hard to quit. By starting one or even a combination of the above therapies, they will give a smoker a dose of nicotine in their blood. This reduces the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, whilst they break away from the psychological habit of smoking.
Our staff can advise you on the best way to kick your smoking habit. By coming in to our store our trained pharmacist will provide you with a free consultation, asking you questions such as how many cigarettes you smoke in a day and what triggers the need for a cigarette etc. By determining your ‘level of nicotine addiction’ the pharmacist will then be able to offer their advice on what they think would work best for you.
The pharmacist may even offer advice in other forms, for example, letting you know about any local support groups, advising you to take up a hobby or even suggesting a routine to start you off.
The benefit of having this support is that we are there 7 days a week whenever you need help, or even just a friendly professional to speak with. It is a proven fact that if you receive support while trying to stop smoking your chance for success is greatly increased.
We can provide a supervised consumption service, usually in the private consultation room in the pharmacy.
Going abroad and need to know which vaccinations you require or need advice on precautions?
We provide travel consultations with experienced staff who will assess the impact of any pre-existing medical conditions on your vaccine requirements. Our competitive pricing and easily accessible location makes us your first choice for all your travel needs
Walk in for a free travel health consultation in our designated private consultation rooms today. We look forward to welcoming you and helping you with all your travel healthcare needs.
We can offer weight management help. Pharmacists are ideally placed to help you manage your weight as they already provide many health services to customers, including stop smoking services, blood pressure and cholesterol measurements and general advice on nutrition and healthy living. Pharmacists also know when a weight problem can be managed in the pharmacy and when there is a medical problem that needs co-operation with the doctor.
Ask us for advice on how to get started.
Get Your Flu Jab with Hawes Whiston & Co
Let us know if you would like to get your flu vaccination with us and we will organise your booking. Free on the NHS for anyone over 65 (before 31.03.2025) and for people who are pregnant or have certain medical conditions.
Request Your Flu Jab