Health and Wellbeing
Healthcare
Swallowfield Medical Practice
Swallowfield Medical Practice is based at the heart of the parish and is a large general practice serving Swallowfield, Riseley, Farley Hill and surrounding areas. The Practice also runs specialist clinics at Swallowfield for children, pregnant women, diabetics and asthma sufferers. There is also an on-site dispensary at Swallowfield for those patients eligible to use the service.
The modern, purpose-built premises in Swallowfield offer excellent and easy to access facilities to all patients.There are also two branch surgeries, in Shinfield and Arborfield. There is easy access for wheelchair users at all three sites, together with toilets for disabled patients and visitors. Hearing Loops are also available at all three surgeries for those with impaired hearing.
For further information, including opening hours and how to make an appointment, please see Swallowfield Medical Practice's website or the NHS website.
NHS Services in our Area
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest general hospital foundation trusts in the country, serving more than 500,000 people.
Manged by the Trust, the Royal Berkshire Hospital is located around six miles away. The Trust also runs other, smaller, sites, including the Bracknell Healthspace, Townlands Memorial Hospital in Henley-on-Thames and the West Berkshire Community Hospital near Thatcham. You can find out more about the Trust via its website.
Wokingham Hospital, which provides several non-emergency services, is managed by the Berkshire NHS Trust, which also manages other sites in Reading, West Berkshire, Slough, Windsor. Ascot and Maidenhead. Further information is available on the Trust's website.
Please always remember to call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. For non-urgent calls, please use the NHS 111 service.
Swallowfield Community First Responders
Swallowfield Community First Responders works in conjunction with the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and provide a first response service to all 999 Category A (life threatening) calls made within the local area. All responders are unpaid volunteers who are trained by SCAS.
Being local means that a responder can often arrive at the scene of a medical emergency before an ambulance, a difference that can sometimes make a crucial difference to a patient.
Heartstart Swallowfield
Several years ago, Heartstart Swallowfield and the Swallowfield Community Responders ran a successful project to raise funds to install public access defibrillators in the local community.
As a result there are now ten defibrillators in and around the local area. In the parish, they are located at:
- Swallowfield Parish Hall, Swallowfield
- Victory Hall, Farley Hill
- Riseley Village Tea Rooms, Riseley
The defibrillators are available to the public 24/7, providing anyone who unfortunately has a cardiac arrest.
Heartstart Swallowfield is affiliated to, but independent of, the British Heart Foundation. The scheme, which was founded by the Swallowfield Community Responders in August 2013, provides training on Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills to the people around Reading, Wokingham and all adjoining areas. Training is free, although donations are encouraged, to cover running costs, and can be attended by anyone over the age of ten.
Heartstart Swallowfield is supported by medical professionals from The South Central Ambulance Foundation Trust and Swallowfield Medical Practice.
To find out more, please visit Heartstart Swallowfield's website.
Mental Health
Please see Wokingham Borough Council's website for more information on mental health support services in the area.
Talking Therapies is an NHS service available to residents of Wokingham Borough. It offers support if you need help with challenges like depression, stress, anxiety and phobias. Call 0300 365 2000 or email talkingtherapies@
A helpful list of local and national organisations that provide support with a variety of mental health conditions is available here.
Citizens Advice Wokingham
Citizens Advice Wokingham is a local charity and offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information to anyone living or working in Wokingham borough. For further information, please see Citizens Advice Wokingham's website.
Wellbeing
There is a wide range of clubs, groups, activities and amenities in and around the parish. Details of some of these can be found in our local directory.
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