APPOINTMENTS

Consultations for either a Doctor or Practice Nurse are by appointment only. To make your appointment, please telephone 731331 or attend the surgery in person between 0800 and 1800 hours, Monday to Friday.

Should you need to cancel your appointment, please give sufficient notice so that your appointment can be given to someone else.

An appointment is for one person only and a separate appointment should be made for any other person attending.

If you feel that you require an urgent appointment, please make this clear to the receptionist. Every effort will be made to give you an appointment as soon as possible, although the appointment may not be with the Doctor of your choice.

HOUSE CALLS

House calls are reserved for patients who are either too ill to attend the surgery or housebound and have a problem which, having been assessed by the Doctor, requires to be dealt with at home. Please try to telephone the surgery before 10.00am as this assists greatly in the planning of the home visits. The receptionists will require details about your problem to help the Doctor assess the priority of your call. Routine house calls are generally undertaken between 9.00 am and 12 midday. We appreciate that you may wish to see a specific doctor but this may not always be possible.

OUT OF HOURS SERVICE

Monday to Friday 1800 – 0800 and full weekends

NHS24 will take all out of hour calls.
Telephone Number 08454 24 24 24.

It is at the Doctors discretion whether an attendance at the centre or a home visit is necessary. Often telephone advice may be all that is needed.

Out of hours cover is now the responsibility of NHS Tayside. Further advice and information can also be obtained from NHS24, whom you can call direct on 08454 24 24 24 or visit www.nhs24.com

HOSPITAL/LABORATORY TEST RESULTS

Please contact the surgery seven to ten days after your sample has been taken and request a telephone consultation with the Doctor. It may not always be appropriate to give a result over the telephone and you may be requested to attend for an appointment, purely to allow further explanation of the result, negative or positive. The practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. We will only release test results to the person to whom they relate until that person has given prior permission for the release of the results or they are not capable of understanding the results.

NON GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES

Any forms for insurance purposes, income protection etc should be handed into reception and they will be passed on to the appropriate doctor for completion. Please help the doctor by completing the appropriate details, i.e. name, address, date of absence/illness.

These forms can take approximately two working days to complete and there is normally a charge, as recommended by the British Medical Association, to cover administration costs.
A list of these can be viewed at reception and in the waiting area.

IMMUNISATION AND VACCINATION

Childhood Immunisations - Your child will be invited to attend for the following. Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, HIB and Men C are given at 2 months, 3 months and 4 months of age.
MMR is given at 12 - 15 months
Diptheria, Tetanus and Polio Booster is given at 4 - 5 years
BCG is given at 13 - 14 years. Given at school
Diptheria, Tetanus and Polio given at 15 years. Given at school.

Routine Adult Immunisations - All adults should be immunised against Tetanus and Polio.

Influenza Vaccination - Available October/November. Ask at reception for details. Influenza vaccination is recommended for all patients with heart disease, long term respiratory problems, chronic illness, e.g. diabetes, over 65 years of age and those living or working in residential or nursing homes.

TRAVEL VACCINATION

If you are traveling abroad, you will require an appointment with the Practice Nurse at the Travel Clinic. Prior to making an appointment please complete a travel questionnaire which should be collected from reception. Once completed this form should be returned to reception and an appointment will be made with the Nurse. This should be done at the earliest opportunity, as at least four weeks are required for vaccinations to take effect.
Some travel destinations can incur a complex vaccination programme. Travel vaccinations for Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A and Typhoid are provide through the National Health Service. Any other travel vaccinations will incur a charge. Details of these charges can be viewed in the waiting room.
Travel Vaccinations/medication incurring Charges:

Charges will also be incurred for certificates for fitness to travel and confirmation of vaccination administered.

HEALTH PROMOTION CLINICS AND SERVICES

The practice believes in the prevention of illness and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. The following services are available as detailed:

LIFESTYLE

Smoking - We are keen to give all our patients who smoke as much help as possible to stop. Please contact the Health Visitor or at any consultation for information and support.

Walking - Even the smallest effort can improve your quality of life and make you feel healthier and livelier. As walking is a very good exercise which most people are able to do, and don’t need special equipment for, then why not get started on your fitness campaign. Simply start by walking for 15 or 20 minutes at a brisk enough pace to get your heart beating faster, 3 times a week regularly. When you can easily walk for an hour you are ready to move on to swimming, cycling or running!

Healthy eating - A healthy diet doesn’t need to be a boring one. Health experts tell us we are all eating too much fat, salt etc, but what exactly does this mean? Why not speak to your doctor/nurse for advice or some of our information leaflets so you can enjoy a healthier diet?