Latest News

Mounjaro Prescribing for weight loss in General Practice

You may have heard in the news today that GP’s are now able to prescribe Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for weight loss. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case, and it is not yet clear if this is a service we will be providing. If we do, we will publish details here including what are likely to be strict criteria around its prescribing. Please do not contact us about Mounjaro for weight loss by phone or our online system as it will delay our response to other patients contacting us about urgent medical issues.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and contraception/pregnancy

Please read the information below carefully if you are using both Mounjaro and a Contraceptive.

If you feel this applies to you or would like to discuss further, please contact the surgery.

GLP-1 agonists and contraception

What are GLP-1 agonists?

GLP-1 agonists include medications such as tirzepatide and semaglutide which may be better known by their different brand names (see below). They are prescription only medications that may be prescribed by a qualified healthcare professional for people with type two diabetes, or to facilitate weight loss. One of the main ways they work is by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach (delayed gastric emptying).#

I am taking the pill. Will using a GLP-1 agonist affect my contraception?

This depends on the type of GLP-1 agonist that you are using. If you are using tirzepatide you should use a barrier method of contraception (e.g. condoms) in addition to your pill for four weeks after starting the medication, and for four weeks after any increase in dose. This is because tirzepatide works slightly differently to the other GLP-1 agonists. Alternatively, you may wish to consider another (non-oral) method of contraception whilst using tirzepatide.

There is currently no evidence that semaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, dulaglutide or lixisenatide reduce the effectiveness of oral contraception (i.e. the combined pill, or the progestogen only pill/ “mini-pill”).

I have diarrhoea and vomiting with my GLP-1 agonist, and I take the contraceptive pill, what should I do?

Diarrhoea and vomiting are common side effects of the GLP-1 agonists and can reduce the effectiveness of the pill. If vomiting occurs within three hours of taking the contraceptive pill, or severe diarrhoea occurs for more than 24 hours, you should follow the guidance for missed pills. You should consider an alternative non-oral method of contraception or the addition of condoms if diarrhoea or vomiting persists.

What about non-oral methods of contraception e.g. the coil, implant, injection, patch or ring, could these be affected by GLP-1 agonists?

There is no reason to believe that GLP-1 agonists affect methods of contraception that are not taken by mouth, so it is okay to use any of these options. No extra precautions are needed when using these methods of contraception alongside a GLP-1 agonist.

I am planning to switch from one type/brand of GLP-1 to another, does the contraception advice remain the same?

If you are switching to tirzepatide from ANY other GLP-1 agonist then you should use a barrier method of contraception (such as a condom) for four weeks after the switch, and for four weeks after any increases in dose, while also continuing your oral contraception. Alternatively, you may wish to consider changing to a non-oral method of contraception whilst using tirzepatide.

I need emergency contraception and I’m taking a GLP-1 agonist; will it work?

We don’t know yet if oral emergency contraception is affected by GLP-1 agonists. The copper IUD (coil) is the most effective method of emergency contraception and is not affected by diarrhoea and vomiting. If you require emergency contraception, please tell your healthcare practitioner about all other medications you are taking, including GLP-1 agonists.

Can I take a GLP-1 agonist during pregnancy

It is important to use effective contraception whilst taking a GLP-1 agonist, as these medications should not be used in pregnancy. If you become pregnant whilst taking one of these medications it is important to discuss this with your doctor. GLP-1 agonists should also be avoided for a number of weeks prior to a planned pregnancy. The table below shows the number of weeks recommended to have stopped the medication prior to a planned pregnancy (washout period), for some of the GLP-1 agonists.

This patient information has been written by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). The advice given is based on FSRH recommendations, which can be found on their website.

This is for information only and should not be a substitute for seeking medical advice. Decisions regarding your contraception choices should always include discussion with a healthcare professional, particularly if you have any questions or concerns. No contraception is 100% effective and there is always a risk of pregnancy. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare bears no liability for the choices an individual makes regarding contraception or the outcome of their decision.

I’m on HRT and taking Mounjaro – what do I need to know?

If you are taking oral progestogen as part of your HRT (for example Utrogestan, Norethisterone, Medroxyprogesterone), then you need to be aware that tirzepatide (Mounjaro) may have an impact on the effectiveness of your HRT. This means your HRT might not protect your endometrium (womb lining) enough. Please contact the surgery to book an HRT review, as we may need to increase your dose or change you to a different form of medication.

If you do not take your HRT orally (for example, you use a patch, a gel or a Mirena coil instead of a tablet) then you do not need to worry.

Heidi Health - AI Medical Scribe

At Nightingale Valley Practice your care is our priority.

To help us provide the best level of patient care, we will now be using Heidi, an AI-powered medical scribe that helps us document your consultations more efficiently.  Heidi will allow us to focus more on you, the patient, rather than on typing and administrative tasks. You can learn more about it here.

If you prefer not to have Heidi assist during your visit, simply let your clinician know.

What is Heidi?

Heidi Health transcribes conversations between you and your clinician to create accurate clinical notes and follow-up materials. This means we spend less time on paperwork and more time focussing on you.

Key benefits:

• More time for your care: We can concentrate on you rather than administrative tasks.
• Accuracy and efficiency: The salient details of your consult are transcribed accurately, reducing errors.
• Streamlined workflow: By simplifying administrative duties, Heidi eases the burden on our clinicians and helps ensure better access to care.

Your data

Your privacy is essential. Heidi complies with UK regulations (Data Protection Act, GDPR, NHS standards) and hosts all data within the UK.

Rest assured, conversations are transcribed in real time with no recordings kept. Once your clinician has completed and reviewed their notes, they are transferred to your Electronic Health Record (EHR) and then deleted from Heidi, ensuring your data remains private and secure.

In addition, before Heidi processes your session, all data is stripped of personal identifiers (think ‘Jane Doe’ instead of your name), so it can’t be traced back to you.

EPACs at Southmead, St Michael’s and Weston General hospitals have opened a patient self-referral option.

This service will make it easier and faster for people requiring early pregnancy services to book an appointment and remove the need for them to visit a GP, emergency department or other healthcare provider to initiate contact.

The criteria for self-referral are:

• six weeks - 19 weeks and six days of pregnancy
• and experiencing bleeding and/or pain
• or previous ectopic pregnancy
• or previous molar pregnancy

More information or to access the EPAC self-referral service is available here.

Network Issues across NHS services - Phone lines are affected

21st March 2025 @ 14:31
We continue to experience network related issues which is nationwide and we apologise for this in advance. 

Phone lines may drop out however our team will be making a note of the caller and phone number to return all phone calls should this happen. We appreciate your patience during this situation which is out of our hands.

More updates as we receive them.

Independent Mental Health Network

Have you got symptoms of a Severe Mental Illness (This may include a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a bipolar affective disorder or non-organic psychosis)?

They'd like you to help them improve these physical health checks and are holding two focus groups to really understand your experiences. (Places are limited to 10 participants in each group).

• One group will be held in North Bristol on 5th of June between 6pm and 7pm.
• One group will be held online on 6th June between 6pm and 7pm.