Find a local service

When you need a dentist

If you have a regular dentist then it’s important that you keep up your appointments to maintain your dental health. Two missed appointments or late cancellations (less than 24 hours’ notice), or not visiting your dentist for more than two and a half years might mean you are removed from your dentist’s patient list.

You may have to wait two to three months for a routine appointment, this applies to both new and existing patients.

If you do not have a dentist call NHS 111 who will let you know if any local practices are currently accepting new NHS patients.

Visit the NHS website to find your nearest dentist.

Emergency dental treatment

If you have a regular dentist, you will have access to emergency dental treatment out of normal surgery hours. This service is only for urgent dental treatment that cannot wait until the next working day and can be accessed through NHS 111.

For emergency dental treatment in normal working hours, you should contact your own dental practice as early in the morning as possible. If you do not have a regular dentist, or are away from home, ring NHS 111 for advice and they will arrange an appointment if you urgently need to be seen.

Gateway to care is the first point of contact for everyone that would like information or advice on adult social care and support services available in Kirklees.

What you can expect from your family doctor

GPs assess patients, provide preventative medical advice, prescribe medication and refer patients to other specialists. They can also provide contraception advice, sexual health services, maternity care and vaccinations. There are 37 GP practices across Greater Huddersfield, all offering a slightly different range of services depending on the different needs of their patients.

Registering with a GP

You can register with a GP by finding your local practice and providing them with your medical card details. If you do not have a medical card you should fill in form GMS1, which should be available at the practice. Once you have been accepted as a patient, your medical records will be transferred to the practice and you will be sent a new medical card. When you register with a new GP it’s a good idea to ask for an information leaflet about the practice and its services and policies.

If you have difficulty registering with a GP, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 01924 504975 (with confidential answer phone).

Extended access to primary care

A new scheme is now offering people living in the Greater Huddersfield CCG area access to visit a GP on weekday evenings and on weekends. For more details, please take a look at our ‘Extended access to primary care‘ page

GP online services

You can book, or cancel, appointments and renew your prescriptions at a time to suit you, thanks to GP online services. You don’t have to call or visit your practice, simply access services via your computer, smartphone or tablet – whenever or wherever it’s convenient for you. Please take a look at our ‘GP online services‘ page for more information.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust was established on 1 April 2001. The trust runs the two main hospitals in Huddersfield and Halifax, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital. It also provides outreach services in the local communities.

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust serves primarily the communities of Wakefield District and North Kirklees, a combined population of around 500,000. It also serves patients from surrounding areas including South Leeds, North Yorkshire, Barnsley and Doncaster. The trust was formed in April 2002 from a merger of the former Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals NHS Trust and Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust.

The trust provides acute hospital services to more than half a million people living in the Wakefield and North Kirklees districts of West Yorkshire. It offers services in three main hospitals – Pinderfields (Wakefield), Dewsbury and District and Pontefract.

A new way to get mental health and well-being help in Kirklees

People of Kirklees now have a new way that they can access information about mental health and well-being. A new Kirklees IAPT website provides information about the IAPT team, self-help guides, information about stress management courses, and how you can access help to improve your mental health and long term conditions.

If you are feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or just need help with your mental well-being contact the team either through the website here or by calling 01484 343700.

My Health Tools aims to help people living with long term health conditions such as anxiety, breathing problems, depression, pain and diabetes. This self-care resource has been designed with and for local people. It provides access to a wealth of trustworthy information and guidance giving people more choices and the opportunity to access extra support.

If you live in Kirklees and have a long-term health condition My Health Tools will help you to:

• feel in control of your condition;
• increase your confidence;
• be inspired with new ideas; and
• access support, skills and resources.

Click here to find out more or to try My Health Tools.

NHS 111 is free to call and is a fast and easy way for people to get the right help, whatever their health needs and whatever the time of day or night. The number is for people who:

• Need medical care fast, but it’s not a 999 emergency
• Don’t know who to call for medical help
• Think they need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service
• Need health information or reassurance about what to do next.

Callers to 111 are put through to a team of highly-skilled call advisers who are supported by experienced nurses. They use a clinical assessment system and ask questions to assess the caller’s needs and determine the most appropriate course of action. There are now only three numbers to remember:

• 111
• Your own GP practice
• 999 for life-threatening emergencies

Contacting NHS 111 if you have a speech or hearing impairment

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired you can contact the NHS 111 service using the RNID’s text relay services. If you suffer from a chronic health condition you might find it helpful to prepare a text template and store it in your phone to use when you need it.

More information about the NHS 111 service can be found here.

Did you know that if your GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the legal right to choose the hospital or service you’d like to go to?

The NHS is offering more and more options to enable you to make choices that best suit your circumstances, giving you greater control of your care. Take a look at our Patient Choice page for more information.

You can search here using your postcode to find a pharmacy near you.

For May Bank Holiday opening times for 2019, please see here.

Pharmacists are experts in medicines and use their clinical expertise, together with their practical knowledge, to advise you on minor health concerns, such as coughs, colds, aches and pains, as well as healthy eating and stopping smoking. As health professionals, pharmacists are subject to a professional code of ethics so you have the peace of mind of knowing that you can discuss your health and symptoms in complete confidence.They can also help you decide whether you need to see a medical health professional or not.

Your local pharmacy can offer:

• information and advice on the safe and effective use of medicines that have been prescribed for you by your GP
• safety advice on handling medicines and disposal of unwanted medicines
• advice on healthier lifestyles, including advice on stopping smoking and sexual health
• direction to further advice, support or treatment
• self care advice on coughs, colds or other minor ailments

Find out more about the help available at your local pharmacy

What information do I need to give the pharmacist?

Before offering you a medicine, your pharmacist will ask a few questions so please don’t feel that the pharmacist is prying. Remember that the information you give will help to make sure that the medicines you receive are the most appropriate for you.

Some people need to be even more careful than others about taking medicines. You’ill be asked if the poorly person is a child, elderly, pregnant or breastfeeding and whether there are any other factors that need to be taken into consideration, such as allergies, sensitivities or existing medical conditions, such as asthma.

A good clue to what you have is how long you have been suffering. You may be advised to see your GP, depending on the length and severity of your symptoms.

Some medicines interact badly with each other. It’s important to tell your pharmacist about any medicines, including herbal or complementary remedies, that you are already taking.

Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights to enable them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. Safeguarding can also be defined as protecting such groups from physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect.

Those most in need of protection are:

• children
• young people
• adults whose circumstances make them vulnerable

Thriving Kirklees is a new health partnership for services to support children and young people aged 0 to 19. Services include:

• Health visiting
• School nursing
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Children’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service (ChEWS) – which offers short term targeted interventions to children and young people
• Assessment and diagnosis of autistic spectrum conditions (please note referrals into this service can only be made by a Speech and Language Therapist, Paediatrician, or Educational Psychologist)
• Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities Team
• Home Start
• Healthy Start Vitamin Scheme
• Safety in the Home
• Safety Rangers

There is one number to contact all these services and that is: 0300 304 5555