About Us
Waterhouses Medical Practice is a long established rural practice in the heart of Staffordshire Moorlands. We aim to provide the highest quality medical care to patients over a wide geographical area, with a large and dedicated team of health professionals. In an increasingly complex NHS, our emphasis is firmly on patient-centred care, with every opportunity and encouragement to discuss your concerns and preferences with us.

In offering traditional general practice care, we also provide the most up to date service, with fully computerised medical records, electronic links to the hospital laboratory and in-house facilities that include:

•  ECG recording and 24 hour ECG monitoring
•  Ultrasound scanning in pregnancy
•  Liquid nitrogen and diathermy treatments for skin conditions
•  Near patient testing and control for anticoagulant treatments
•  Spirometry for assessment and monitoring of lung problems

Home visits
This is a large rural practice area and we ask patients always to try to attend the surgery instead of requesting home visits. Visits take a lot of the doctors' time, and make them unavailable to other patients. The minibus provides daily transport to the Waterhouses surgery, and family, friends and neighbours are usually willing to help with transport. Please ask to speak to the duty doctor if you feel you are unable to attend the surgery but need medical attention.

Disabled access
All clinical rooms in both our surgeries are readily accessible to patients in wheelchairs and the patients' toilets are designed to accommodate those with disabilities. Please ask for any assistance you may need.

Practice nurses
The practice nurse team is available for dressings, well-woman and contraception services and routine medical examinations, as well as monitoring problems such as diabetes, asthma etc. The nurses are also able to advise on and treat a range of minor medical problems and can provide telephone advice and discuss test results. Please ask for an appointment with the nurse instead of the doctor if you feel this is appropriate, and reception staff will suggest speaking to or seeing the nurse on suitable occasions

Health Care Assistant
The health care assistant  is available every day except Monday at Waterhouses surgery for blood tests, new patient and elderly health checks,blood pressure, ECGs and INRs.

District Nurse
We have a team of community nurses who provide key services to our housebound patients in the community. They also have an important role in assessing and treating patients discharged from hospital after operations or serious illness. The community nurses are in daily contact with the doctors and other team members and often take the lead role in treating patients at home. We also involve a wider team, such as the Douglas McMillan nurses where appropriate.

Counselling
A Community Psychiatric Nurse and a Counsellor both have weekly sessions at Waterhouses and Alton surgeries and your doctor may suggest referral to one of them.  Please feel free to ask for a referral if you think it is appropriate and the doctor has not suggested it.

Contraception and "well woman" services
We offer a full range of contraceptive services, advice and cervical screening services. Please ask and of the doctors or practice nurses for more information.

Pregnancy services
All the doctors provide full pregnancy services, in partnership with our attached midwife, Julie Taylor.  We offer bookings at Derby, Macclesfield or University Hospital of North Staffordshire, as well as home births when appropriate.

Child Health services
We work with our attached Health Visitor, Judith Johnson to provide all routine child health care and immunisations. Judith is also closely involved with the local "Sure Start" programme and other local initiatives, such as baby massage.