Thinking of travelling at the last minute?

Hoping to book a fantastic deal on the internet, or get a bargain at the travel agents?

That would be great but please remember, we do not have last minute appointments.

You should attend the surgery at least 6-8 weeks before departure. Although during the main peak summer holiday season May-August, due to the demand for this service (and because our staff will also have annual leave commitments), please ensure you allow longer that 8 weeks so we are able to see you before you travel.

You can complete an Ask My GP request or send an email to cardinal.medicalpractice@nhs.net (ensure you confirm your mobile number) and a member of our team will send you an electronic questionnaire to you for completion and return.

You will need to have a smart phone in order for this questionnaire to work, alternatively if you do not have a smart phone, you can attend one of the sites to collect a paper form, but this completed form should be returned to our Chesterfield Drive site (as this is where the nurses who review the forms are based).

Fear of Flying

GPs are no longer able to prescribe diazepam for fear of flying. There are many reasons for this:

• Diazepam is a sedative, which means this medication would make you feel sleepy and more relaxed. If there was an emergency during the flight, this could impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions, or react to the situation. This could seriously affect the safety of you and the people around you.
• Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however, when you sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means your movements during sleep are reduced and this can place you at an increased risk of developing blood clots (DVT). These blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk further increases if your flight is over 4 hours long.
• Although most people respond to benzodiazepines like Diazepam with sedation, a small proportion experience the opposite effect and can become aggressive. They can also lead to disinhibition and make you behave in ways you normally wouldn’t. This could also impact on your safety and the safety of your follow passengers.
• National prescribing guidelines followed by GPs also don’t allow the use of benzodiazepines in cases of phobia. Any GP prescribing diazepam for a fear of flying would be taking a significant legal risk as this goes against these guidelines. Benzodiazepimes are only licensed for short-term use in a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the problem you suffer with, you should seek proper care and support for your mental health and it would not be advisable to go on a flight.
• In some countries Diazepam is illegal, so may be confiscated or you find yourself in trouble with the local authorities.

Instead please speak to your local pharmacy who can discuss with you Bachs Rescue Remedies which you can purchase over the counter. Alternatively you can also find further support for fear of flying by visiting www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/general-travel-health-advice/air-travel#FearofFlying.