TELEPHONE ACCESS

We are currently receiving an extraordinary volume of telephone calls which makes getting through to us very difficult at times.  We are sorry about this but we only have one inward line. 

We are arranging a second line to be available but in the meantime it would be a tremendous help if you could please:-

• Request all repeat medications via theOnline Service tab at top of page

• Update your address or contact numbers as soon as there is a change via the Online Services tab in the Menu Bar at the top of this page

• Direct all enquiries with regard to Vaccines and Immunisations to the person/agency who contacted you.  We no longer administer any vaccines. 

• We do not hold your Corona Virus (COVID19) Vaccine Record or manage your appointments for this vaccine 

• Contact Hospitals directly with regard to waiting times and appointment times when you have been referred for further medical treatment

• Do not phone for test results, UNLESS YOU HAVE SPECIFICALLY BEEN ASKED TO DO SO.  One of our health professionals will contact you if there is any news to discuss

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

PLEASE NOTE THAT LOCAL PHARMACISTS ARE EXPERIENCING LENGTHY DELAYS IN DISPENSING REGULAR MEDICATIONS.

THIS IS DUE TO CONDITIONS OUTWITH THEIR CONTROL, INCLUDING  GAPS IN MEDICATION SUPPLY AND STAFFING DIFFICULTIES. IT ALSO MEANS THEY MAY HAVE TO CLOSE FOR PERIODS DURING THE DAY FOR SAFETY REASONS.  PLEASE RESPECT OUR COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME

PLEASE ALSO HELP US AND THEM BY ALLOWING AT LEAST 10 DAYS BETWEEN ORDERING YOUR ITEMS AND GOING TO COLLECT THEM, AND BY ORDERING VIA OUR WEBSITE.

ALTERNATIVELY PLEASE DROP IN A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR YOUR MEDICATIONS, TO US, AND ASK FOR THE RE-ORDER SLIP EACH TIME YOU COLLECT YOUR MEDICATIONS, FOR YOUR NEXT ORDER.   

WE ALSO REQUEST THAT YOU DO NOT TELEPHONE THE PHARMACY WITH YOUR ORDER.

Our online ordering service can save you time and speed up delivery of your prescriptions. This will help the Pharmacists reduce their turnaround time and improve service delivery to you.  We cannot accept requests over the telephone - and haven't since 2007 - as we need to keep our line free for medical emergencies. 

You can register to order your medications at a time that suits you, so if you are taking your tablets at night and you notice you only have a few left, you can log-on and place the order straight away. We check these requests several times during the course of each working  day. If you are in the situation where you have miscalculated and are down to your last tablet/s please indicate this on your website request and we can arrange for this to be collected at the surgery after 5.00pm on the same day.

We will never see you go without the medications you need to keep you healthy, so please do call us BUT ONLY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY.

MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBERS

DO WE HAVE YOURS?

We are getting rising numbers of patients not attending for pre-booked appointments and this results in delays for all patients being seen. Demand for appointments is high so a patient who misses their appointment may need to wait some time to be seen again.  Reasons for missing appointments are variable and we understand that it cannot always be avoided. 

We now sending appointment reminders via text to your mobile phone, to try and improve the rate of attendance. This is the same type of service currently being offered by local dentists and by Hospital Outpatient Departments, with good effect. 

Please can you let us know your current mobile number so we can send reminders for your future appointments.  

There are forms available at reception, which you can complete with your current number or you can do this via our Change of Details button on our website.

You do have the option to opt out of this service, should you wish, to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations.  Please contact us to arrange this.

We are keen to keep to the NHS target of offering patients an appointment within 48 hours and we are hopeful that this initiative will improve things.

THANK YOU

BOWEL SCREENING FOR OVER 50s

Since November 2011, patients aged over 50 years and over will have received a Bowel Screening Kit in the post.  These kits will be sent to all patients every two years. We would encourage all patients who receive the kit to do the test and return the kit in the envelope provided.  Our surgery has an uptake just slightly above the Scottish average of 52% for men and 58% for women.  We would like to improve this and ask that you express any concerns you have at your next appointment.

The testing kits have been updated and are now a single, easy to obtain sample kit.

Statistics prove that survival rates increase with early detection—up to 17% -  with overall survival averaging 55%.  Cancer isn’t what it used to be and people can live well with early detection.  Don’t be scared to ask your GP or our practice nurse if you feel you have symptoms suggestive of bowel cancer.  Visit the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme website for more information at:-

http://www.healthscotland.com/topics/health/screening/bowel.aspx

 or phone the number below if you have misplaced your kit and wish to be tested.

Bowel Screening Helpline 0800 0121 833