Sometimes you, your whānau or our doctors and nurses may be worried that your blood pressure is a bit high. Your blood pressure can vary throughout the day and night. We are able to fit a small cuff on your arm and you carry a small device in a bag to measure your blood pressure at different times throughout the day and night. This can help guide us in the best course of treatment for you.

Some people develop 'thinning' of the bones, called osteoporosis. A treatment that can help with this is a medicine called aclasta, which is delivered by infusion into one of your veins (through a needle) to help rebuild the structure of your bones. This treatment takes 15-30 minutes and is done every 18-24 months.

If you are concerned about your hearing or your work needs you to get your hearing checked, this can be done with an audiogram. An audiogram measures how loud a noise has to be at different frequencies for you to be able to hear it. It involves you wearing headphones and reporting when you are able to hear a certain sound.

If your doctor has tested you and found that your vitamin B12 levels are low, they may recommend treatment with B12 injections. These may not be required for everyone with a low B12 level, so it is important that this is discussed with your doctor or nurse before booking for your first injection.

New Zealand's cervical screening programme is for all women aged 25-69 years, and aims to prevent cervical cancer. Having a cervical smear involves a small plastic speculum being inserted into your vagina, and a small sample of the cells of your cervix (which sits at the top of your vagina) removed with a small brush. Most women find this a painless procedure. The test looks for cells that might later develop into cancer cells. You are very welcome to bring a support person with you.

Videos about the cervical screening programme are available on the Health Navigator website. 

If you are planning to get pregnant, or struggling to get pregnant, we can discuss all issues with you and plan what the next steps will be.

Family planning services are limited at Waihi Beach Medical Centre. 

During a consultation you can discuss any general medical or injury related problem you may be experiencing. 

Immunisations are usually injections given to help protect people against harmful infections, which may cause serious complications. It uses the body's natural defense system (the immune system) to build up resistance to specific infections. Common side effects are mild redness and pain at the site of the injection, which may be associated with a mildly high temperature. More serious reactions are very rare.

If the iron levels in your blood are low your clinician may recommend a course of iron tablets. If iron tablets have given you side effects or we need to quickly increase your iron levels, then you may require an infusion of the iron medication (ferinject) into one of your veins (through a needle), over about 15-30 minutes.

Liquid nitrogen (also known as cryotherapy or freezing treatment) is a very cold liquid that is either sprayed or applied directly to a skin lesion. It freezes the skin lesion and then thaws - this helps destroy it. It can be used to treat many small skin lesions, such as warts, skin tags and some early skin cancer lesions. Some people find it a little uncomfortable, but no anaesthetic is required. Treatment takes 1-2 minutes, and is usually applied over 2-3 cycles. You may notice some crusting or, rarely, blistering after the treatment.

During a men's health check we discuss things related specifically to men's health, such as prostate screening and sexual health, as well as things covered in a general check up.

If you have mole you are worried about, or a skin lesion that is changing or not getting better, it is important to get it checked by a doctor or a specially trained nurse. They may recommend that it be removed. Removal involves a small injection of local anaesthetic to numb the area and then a small procedure is performed to remove the mole or lesion. Some of our medical centres are able to offer more complex skin surgery - please discuss this with one of our doctors. Payment is usually required for minor surgery procedures, and varies depending on the procedure. This can also be discussed with one of our doctors.

If you are pregnant and are unsure of the next steps please make appointment with your GP. We are able to offer free maternity care up until you are 13 weeks pregnant.

• We can help explain things that are good, or not so good, for you during pregnancy and help guide you through what to expect when you're expecting.
• We can answer your questions and support you if your early pregnancy doesn't go as planned.
• If you didn't plan on getting pregnant we can talk through your options and support you with any decision you make.
• If you are planning to get pregnant or facing challenges with getting pregnant, then we can offer help, advice and support through that journey. 

If you are well but would like a general check on your health then it is good to come and discuss this with a GP. Areas that are often covered include risks of heart attack or stroke in the future, general lifestyle advice, general mental health, family history of specific medical conditions, and preventative screening such as prostate testing, cervical smears and mammograms.

You can book a sexual health check to discuss any concerns regarding sexual health, symptoms or possible exposure to symptoms. We are here for full, frank, open and confidential discussions and testing.

If you smoke, or vape with nicotine, and feel that the time is right for you to try and quit we are here to help you. There are many different options available to help you stop smoking. Please feel free to book an appointment with a doctor or one of our trained nurses to give you help and advice.

Vasectomy (sometimes called male sterilisation) is a permanent form of contraception to prevent pregnancy. It is a small surgical procedure that takes around 40 minutes and is done under local anaesthetic, so you are awake throughout the procedure but do not feel the pain. Vasectomy is very reliable and in most cases will prevent future pregnancies. You will be required to do two sperm tests a few months after the procedure to ensure that it was successful, before using this method for contraception.

A Well Child health check is usually done when your child is four years old, and often done at the same time as their pre-school immunisations. It covers all aspects of your child's health and development.

During a women's health check we discuss things related specifically to women's health, such as period problems, sexual health, contraception, cervical smears and mammograms.