Latest News

Practice Access from Monday 13^th December

Following a change in the guidance from the Scottish government, we are required to screen every patient for both COVID19 and respiratory symptoms, therefore the front doors to the practice will be closed and if appropriate, access will be given once the screening has taken place.

Patients with appointments who have been screened and are able to enter will be allowed into the waiting room to wait for the clinician they are seeing.

Please use the intercom at the main doors to contact reception.

The following rules still apply in General Practice:

Wearing of face coverings by patients and the public (unless you are exempt)
Physical distancing of 1 metre if no covid or respiratory symptoms
Contact your practice by telephone in the first instance

IF YOU HAVE ANY COVID19 OR RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, HAVE TRAVELLED INTERNATIONALLY TO A RED LIST COUNTRY OR HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A POSTIVE CASE PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND THE PRACTICE AND CONTACT US OVER THE PHONE

We are following government guidance and do not make these rules – our staff are doing their best in difficult circumstances, please be kind.

Waiting room guidance

If you have been told by the Doctor that you are a red zone patient – you must not enter the building. Please wait in your car/outside and contact us via the phone.
If you have a face to face appointment booked and you develop COVID symptoms please do not attend the practice and call us to re-arrange the appointment.
Please do not arrive early for your appointment – please arrive on time.
The windows in the waiting room will be open at all times to increase airflow therefore we advise that you wear appropriate clothing as it may be cooler than previously.
Appointments cannot be booked in person – patients must still call in to book appointments. We need to limit the number of people physically in the reception area for the protection of all and to adhere to the 1 meter distancing as required by Scottish Government guidance.
If a patient is only dropping off - Scripts, letters and samples etc, these should still go through the side door letterbox. Again this is to limit the number of people in the building.
If someone is collecting and dropping off then please come to the intercom at the main doors.
There will no longer be the facility to speak to reception at the side door. If you need to speak to reception, please use the intercom at the main entrance
If you want a confidential conversation, please contact us over the phone or advise reception that you wish to have a confidential conversation and ask reception to call you back.
Please adhere to 1 meter distancing at all times.
Face coverings are mandatory in healthcare settings, please continue to wear one.
Please follow the signage about distancing and where to sit.

Public Holidays

We are closed on the below dates for public holidays.

If we are closed and you cannot wait until the surgery reopens, call NHS24 on 111. In an emergency call 999. Please bare in mind these closures for repeat medication requests. Thank you.

In 2022

Friday 15th April 2022 - Good Friday
Monday 18th April 2022 - Easter Monday
Monday 2nd May 2022 – May Day
Monday 19th September 2022 - Autumn Public Holiday
Monday 26th December 2022 - Boxing Day
Tuesday 27th December 2022 - in lieu of 25 December 2022

In 2023

Monday 2nd January 2023
Tuesday 3rd January 2023 - in lieu of 1 January 2023

Practice Extension

We are very excited to announce that work will be starting in the practice from the end of this week (11/11/21) to build an extension. Once complete it will give the practice some much needed extra space and a refresh to some of the existing areas. It is anticipated that the build programme will take at least 6 months.

This does of course mean that while it is taking place that there will be some disruption;

The contractors will require to section off approximately a third of the car park meaning there will be in a big reduction in parking spaces available. There will also be workmen on site using spaces too. We therefore ask that you bear this in mind when you are attending the practice and travel on foot where possible. Spaces will be blocked off with cones to ensure that staff can get parked – we ask that you please do not use these spaces.
There will, at times, be noise due to the building work – we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
There will be various different phases and at times we may need to use different entrances/close the waiting room etc whilst works are taking place – all information will be posted on the website and in the practice windows in due course.

Flu and Booster vaccination

It’s important to get you Flu and Booster vaccination. Please go to https://www.nhsinform.scot/flu-vaccine/invitations-and-appointments/book-a-flu-or-coronavirus-booster-vaccination to book a vaccination appointment.

Flu Vaccines

The way you will get your flu vaccine this year has changed.

People aged 70 or over will now be sent a letter by the national booking system with details of an appointment at a vaccination centre.

From now on, GP practices will not administer the Flu jab. Across Scotland, Health and Social Care Partnerships are taking on this role in line with the GP Contract agreed by BMA Scotland on behalf of Scottish GPs. This change has been agreed to relieve pressure on GP practices. As a result your local practice will not offer any flu vaccinations or handle any booking queries for people in eligible groups.

Instead, the flu vaccine will be delivered by the four Health and Social Care Partnerships in Lothian - East Lothian; Midlothian; Edinburgh and West Lothian.

If you require further information or you need to rearrange your appointment, please contact the helpline on your appointment invitation or the local enquiry line on 0300 790 6296.

Please do not contact your GP - we will not be able to help, we do not have any visibility of appointments or the booking system.

You can find out more on the websites of the Health and Social Care Partnerships or on NHS Inform

Please see NHS Lothian ‘s video links in multiple languages about the LFD and PCR tests:

The languages include Urdu, Arabic, Punjabi, Spanish, English1, and Romanian.

English [African presenter], Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Bengali, Polish, BSL, Swahili and Kurdish are in the process of being uploaded.

Link for all the videos https://vimeo.com/channels/1744773/videos

There are four video links for each language version.

The video link titled 'The LFD test for people with no symptoms' encourages people to get tested. It provides information on the LFD test, where to get tested and the support available if they test positive.
https://vimeo.com/channels/1744773/641903337 (English)
2. The video link titled 'What is a PCR test?' provides information on why people should take the PCR test, where to get tested, what support is available if they test positive and how to keep safe.
https://vimeo.com/channels/1744773/641616186 (English)
3. The video link titled 'How to do an LFD test at home' provides audio-visual instructions and a 'follow along' step by step video demonstration of the LFD test, what to do if you are positive, support for self-isolation, where to get further advice and how to stay safe.
https://vimeo.com/channels/1744773/641925122 (English)
4. The video link titled 'How to do a PCR test at home' provides audio-visual instructions and a 'follow along' step by step video demonstration of the PCR test.
The video also explains what to do if you test positive, when to return to work, support for self-isolation, where to get further advice and how to stay safe.
https://vimeo.com/channels/1744773/641902144 (English)

Covid Vaccination Exemption Certificates

Covid Vaccination exemption

Macmillan Cancer Support

If you live in Edinburgh and the Lothians and are affected by cancer (including family members and carers) you could benefit from this new support service.

Macmillan Cancer Support and NHS Lothian are working together to support people affected by cancer access a wide range of support, including benefits advice, help at home and emotional support.

For more information or to access the service call 07977 307 286 / 07929 784 315 or email loth.icj@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Cervical Screening - 'Don't ignore it

Even if you expect everything is fine, don’t ignore your smear test invite.

It can help stop cervical cancer before it starts.

Find out more: getcheckedearly.org

Get the right care, in the right place:

Right Care

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme

The aim of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is to find aneurysms (bulges in blood vessels) early, and monitor or treat them. Treating an AAA early greatly reduces the chance of it rupturing and causing serious problems. Find out how the test is done and what your test results mean.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/screening/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-aaa/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-aaa-screening

NHS DIGITAL DATA SHARING OPT OUT

We would like to reassure our patients that the proposed extraction of GP data by NHS digital does NOT include any patient registered with this practice or in NHS Scotland. NHS digital provide services in England so are not able to access any data held in Scotland. You are not required to opt out as your data is already safe. We take patient confidentiality extremely seriously and safeguards are in place to protect this, including when data is used for research.

Further information on how NHS Scotland handles your personal information is on the NHS inform website.

Pharmacy/Script processing time frame

Please be aware that local pharmacies are exceptionally busy - they require 24-48 hours from receiving your script in order to process it. If you have any queries regarding when your script will be ready - please speak to the relevant pharmacy directly.

Call MIA

Call MIA helps you get the right care in the right place. If you’ve got a minor injury you can get advice about treatment from the comfort of your own home. Call 111 24/7 and NHS24 will direct to Call MIA. Virtual and face-to-face scheduled appointments are available between 10am-10pm, 7 days a week

Children under 12 years old with a minor injury should attend one of the services at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Western General Hospital or St John’s Hospital, but if under 1 year old should attend the Emergency Department at RHSC or SJH.

Call MIA is available to patients with injuries that are less than 5 days old. Injuries it can advise on include:

strains, sprains and suspected broken bones to limbs only (not back, chest or abdomen)
wounds and minor burns (not to face, groin or hands)
minor bumps to head and face (with no vomiting or loss of consciousness)
simple eye injuries
insect bites and stings with localised swelling and no evidence of allergic reaction