Women’s Health Services
Your Local, Trusted, Expert General Medical Practice
Our Location
324 Harold's Cross Road,
Harold's Cross,
Dublin, D6W TN82
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 17.30pm. Closed for lunch 12.30 pm to 13.30pm
Closed Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays
Contact Us
Phone: 01 492 2665
Out Of Hours
LukeDoc: 01 669 9499
DubDoc: 01 454 5607
Prescriptions
All patients who require repeat prescriptions please phone the reception team to make an appointment with the Doctor.
Women’s Health
We provide a full range of general medical services to women of all ages.
Our experienced medical team offer a high quality, caring and confidential healthcare service to meet your needs. We look after all aspects of women’s general health.
Routine & Acute GP Consultations
GP consultations are needed to diagnose complaints, prescribe a new medicine, monitor an ongoing prescription or order a blood test.
It may be helpful to give some brief details when booking your appointment so our reception staff can arrange the most appropriate appointment for you.
It’s important to be aware of changes to your health, and to see your GP immediately if you notice something that’s not right.
Cervical Screening (Smear Tests)
A cervical screening test is a free test to check the health of your cervix. The cervix is the opening to your womb from your vagina. Cervical screening is a method of preventing cervical cancer by detecting abnormal cells in the cervix, the lower part of the womb.
The National Cervical Screening Programme provides free smear tests to women aged 25 to 65. You should automatically be on the register if you are age 25 to 65 and have a PPS number, or if you have previously had a cervical screening test through CervicalCheck.
If you check the register and see your test is due, you can book your free test by contacting reception here at Harolds Cross Medical Centre to book an appointment.
If you are age 25 to 65 and not on the register, you can be added to the register online or through our clinic. To be added to the register online go to the CervicalCheck register by clicking HERE. You will need to enter your PPS number, date of birth and add your details.
For more information on Cervical Check go to CervicalCheck https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/
Contraception & Sexual Health
We provide a full range of contraceptive services and sexual health advice. During your consult your GP will guide you and answer some of your questions that you may have. ‘What is the best contraception for me? What has the least side effects? What is right for me at this stage of my life?
Our GPs are highly experienced in fitting Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) including coils (intrauterine devices/systems) and the contraceptive implant (the bar).
Free Contraception Service
Women and people with a uterus aged 17 to 35 (inclusive) can get contraception for free. You do not need a medical card to access this service.
What Costs Are covered?
The costs covered include:
GP appointments – to talk about contraception options and for repeat prescriptions when needed
Any prescriptions given by your doctor – these will be given free of charge at participating pharmacies
Your choice of contraception – from the types covered below
Fittings and removals of implants and IUDs or IUSs (coils)
Any check-ups or other follow up care needed, relating to your implant or coil
Emergency contraception (morning after pill)
Types of Contraception Covered
There are many types of contraception covered by this service. You may need to experiment to find what works best for you. Emergency contraception is also covered. You can choose from a range of contraception. These include short-acting contraceptives and long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).
To access free contraception, you need to be a woman or person with a uterus, aged between 17 to 35 and living in Ireland.
You will need to give us your PPS number, name, date of birth and address. We need this to make sure that you are in the 17 to 35 age group covered by the free contraception service.
For more information on the Free Contraception go to Free Contraception https://www.sexualwellbeing.ie/sexual-health/contraception/free-contraception/
Need To Book An Appointment?
Simply call our team on 01 492 2665. Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 17.30pm
Closed for lunch 12.30 pm to 13.30pm. Closed Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays
Menopause
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods completely. It is a natural part of ageing.
Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop. Sometimes they can stop suddenly. It usually happens between 45 and 55 years of age as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. The average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
A very small percentage of women experience the menopause before 40 years of age. This is known as premature or early menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency.
Symptoms of Menopause
Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some of these can be severe and have a significant impact on your everyday activities. Common symptoms include:
Hot flushes
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness & discomfort during sex
Difficulty sleeping
Problems with memory & concentration
Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop. They can last around 4 years after your last period. Some women have them for much longer. A significant number of women can develop urinary incontinence after the menopause, for which treatment is also possible.
Treatments For Menopausal Symptoms
Your GP can recommend treatments and lifestyle changes if you have severe menopausal symptoms. these might include:
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): tablets, skin patches, gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen.
Vaginal Oestrogen Creams: lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): A type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly can improve some menopausal symptoms
Your GP may refer you to a menopause specialist if your symptoms do not improve after treatment or if you cannot take HRT.
When To Contact Your GP
You should talk to your GP if you have menopausal symptoms that are troubling you or if you are experiencing symptom before 45 years of age.
Your GP can usually confirm if you’re menopausal based on your symptoms. If you are under 45, they may take a blood test to check your hormone levels.
Need To Book An Appointment?
Simply call our team on 01 492 2665. Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 17.30pm
Closed for lunch 12.30 pm to 13.30pm. Closed Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays
Women’s Sexual Health
We offer comprehensive sexual health screening service including full STI testing and treatment where required.
Patients without symptoms may visit the practice nurse for a sexual health screening visit.
Where appropriate, treatment such as cryotherapy for warts may be initiated as part of the service. Referral to specialist services will be advised and arranged if needed. The service is completely confidential and can be arranged by contacting reception, at short notice when necessary.
For further information on Sexual health and STIs go to www.sexualwellbeing.ie
Joint Injection
Joint injections maybe used to treat swollen or painful joints. A combination of local anaesthetic and a corticosteroid are injected directly into the affected join. This is also called an intra-articular injection. The joints most often injected are the shoulder and knee.
To book appointment please phone reception and request an appointment with Dr Jim Holden or Dr Ciara Joy, who will make an assessment, investigate as appropriate and proceed to joint injection if this is deemed to be valuable.
The Benefits:
The benefits are normally experienced within a few days, if successful, and can last for months. The medicine should help decrease inflammation, swelling and pain. Generally, patients will respond after one injection, however it may be necessary to administer a further injection. Side-effects are few but can occur and this will be discussed during your consultation.
Useful Documents & Medical Links
At Harold’s Cross Medical Centre we’ve put together some useful website links and downloadable PDFs.
Joint Health
Information on arthritis, supports, medications, research and physical activity
New Patient Registration
We welcome new patients to our surgery.
If you would like to see one of the doctors, please phone reception in advance to discuss registering and making an appointment. Our team will be happy to chat to you about the practice and our services and assist you with making an appointment.
To register with Harolds Cross Medical Centre you will need to provide the Clinic with your contact details. A registration form will need to be completed prior to your first doctor’s appointment, to register online please click the button below to complete the form. If you would prefer to submit the form in writing, please contact our reception to discuss further or download our patient registration form HERE and post or drop it in to the practice.
The registration process is completed following a consultation with one of the Clinic’s doctors.
You will be asked to arrange for past medical notes from a previous GP to be forwarded to Harolds Cross Medical Centre. This process is required for both private and medical card patients.