Overseas Travel Service

Due to an increase in workload we are no longer able to offer travel assessments at the practice.  We also no longer offer Yellow Fever vaccination. 

Patients seeking advice on travel health and travel vaccinations should visit the NHS Fit for Travel website in the first instance.

Patients requiring vaccinations can then contact any of the following local providers of travel vaccinations:

• RIDU Travel Clinic, Western General Hospital, Ward 41 OPD, Western General Hospital
  0131 537 2823
• Barnton Pharmacy, 195 Whitehouse Road
  0131 339 3449
• Masta Travel Clinic, 5 Quality Street
  0131 336 303

More information about travel clinics within Lothian can be found here. 

Travelling in the EU
For most people, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) replaces the existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for new applications.  

If you have an existing EHIC, it will remain valid until the expiry date on the card.

You can apply for a new card up to 6 months before your current card expires.  To find out more and apply for a UK GHIC please click here.

Non-NHS Services

Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
• Insurance claim forms
• Passport signing
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
• Private sick notes
• Vaccination certificates

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales.  

Please click here for a list of fees.
 

Medical Info Request

Minor Injuries Clinic

We are unable to provide a walk-in service at the surgery for the treatment of minor injuries such as cuts, burns, sprains or suspected broken bones.  There is a dedicated clinic at the Western General Hospital that is fully equipped to deal with these injuries. 

If you have a minor injury, please call Minor Injuries Assessment (MIA) for a confidential assessment by video call with a qualified nurse practitioner.

This service can help patients aged 12 years and over quickly and easily with a recent minor injury including:

• strains, sprains and suspected broken bones of arms and legs
• wounds and minor burns
• minor bumps to head and face
• simple eye injuries
• insect bites and stings

To arrange a video consultation with Call MIA, and for other urgent healthcare advice which is not life-threatening please call NHS 24 on 111. You will be sent a link to open at the time of your appointment which connects you to a member of the healthcare team. To work you will need a reliable internet connection and a smartphone, tablet or computer with a webcam.

A Nurse Practitioner will assess your injury and provide advice and treatment within a matter of minutes. A lot of minor injuries can be treated from the comfort of your home or with the help of a local pharmacy.

If they decide you need to go to a Minor Injuries Service, you will be given a convenient appointment time to save you waiting when you attend. If you do not have video technology, but need to be seen, you will be given an appointment at a minor injuries service.

In the case of a life-threatening emergency always dial 999 for assistance.

Up to date information on the Minor Injuries department can be found by clicking here.

Eye Problems

Whatever your eye problem your first port of call should be an optometrist.  An optometrist is the the best person to assess urgent eye problems, check for eye disorders and treat eye conditions e.g. red eye, sore eye, deterioration of eyesight, something in your eye and eye infections.  They have the professional training and necessary equipments to assess most eye problems and will refer to a specialist when necessary.  You will not have to pay for these appointments as they are NHS funded.

If you already have your own optometrist you should contact them in the first instance as they will have your clinical records.  If you do not have an optometrist already there is a list below of some local optometrists who provide this service.  Please telephone the optometrist of your choice in the first instance for an assessment.

Optometrists offering this service include:

Ballantine Goldie - Main Street, Davidson's Mains - 0131 336 4764
Boots Opticians - Gyle Centre - 0131 317 1295
Boots Opticians - Craigleith Retail Park - 0345 125 3752
KD Wallace Eyecare - 238 Queensferry Road - 0131 467 6800
Specsavers - Gyle Centre - 0131 317 7540

Whatever your eye problem your first port of call should be an optometrist.  An optometrist is the the best person to assess urgent eye problems, check for eye disorders and treat eye conditions e.g. red eye, sore eye, deterioration of eyesight, something in your eye and eye infections.  They have the professional training and necessary equipments to assess most eye problems and will refer to a specialist when necessary.  You will not have to pay for these appointments as they are NHS funded.

If you already have your own optometrist you should contact them in the first instance as they will have your clinical records.  If you do not have an optometrist already there is a list below of some local optometrists who provide this service.  Please telephone the optometrist of your choice in the first instance for an assessment.

Optometrists offering this service include:

Ballantine Goldie - Main Street, Davidson's Mains - 0131 336 4764
Boots Opticians - Gyle Centre - 0131 317 1295
Boots Opticians - Craigleith Retail Park - 0345 125 3752
KD Wallace Eyecare - 238 Queensferry Road - 0131 467 6800
Specsavers - Gyle Centre - 0131 317 7540

Mental Health

Jen Opara is our practice mental health nurse and she can support patients aged 14 and above with mental health conditions, general stress, distress & life events.  Jen offers telephone and face to face consultations.  Please ask one of our team for an appointment.

Self Help - There are some self-help booklets (in PDF format) available here on: Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Managing Mental Health, Relaxation, and a Self-Help Mental Health Reading List.  You can download any of these by just clicking the link.

Self-Assessment: If you are not sure whether you are stressed or anxious or depressed, or how much you are dealing with, why not take a simple on-line test and see for yourself. This is the DASS-42 (click here) and for Depression, Anxiety and Stress you get a Score. There are 42 indicators, and you can also print out your scores. If the scores are high, please consult your GP.

Cramond Counselling Service - The practice has a team of in-house counsellors to provide help and support for people with a range of emotional problems. Referrals to this service are made through your GP.

Other Available Counselling Services – In Edinburgh, there are a fairly wide range of counselling and mental health services. For a list of these, with contact numbers, please click here.

Pregnancy

You do not need to see your GP if you have done a home pregnancy test. You can refer yourself directly to your midwife by calling 0131 536 2009. You will be given the date of your first appointment with your midwife and the date for your early pregnancy scan. The midwife runs a regular antenatal clinic at the surgery regularly as well a shared care service for pregnant ladies in association with the rest of the health care team and obstetric services. "Preparation for Birth and Parenthood" classes are held by the midwife and health visitors locally.

Pain or Bleeding in Early Pregnancy

If you are less than 12 weeks pregnant and experience pain or bleeding you can make an urgent appointment to see your GP or telephone the Pregnancy Support Centre on 242 2438 for advice.

Men considering vasectomy do not need to see their GP for a referral.  Please contact the NHS Lothian Vasectomy Service on 0131 536 1512 to arrange an appointment for assessment.

All men will have an assessment before going on the waiting list for a vasectomy. Where possible, this will be done at a local clinic and needs to be carried out no matter what discussions have taken place with a GP. The assessment will involve discussion about your general health and past medical history. You will also be given detailed information about the vasectomy procedure, what to expect following the operation, failure rates and risks. You will be asked to sign consent forms before the operation can take place.

More information about the NHS Lothian Vasectomy Service can be found here.

Dementia Specialist Admiral Nurse Clinic

We are fortunate to have a Dementia Specialist Admiral Nurse Clinic running in the practice every Thursday.  The nurse provides compassionate one-to-one support and practical solutions for people looking after someone with dementia.  

If you're caring for someone living with dementia, you can call or email the Admiral Nurse Clinic to make an appointment, to seek specialist advice, support and clinical guidance about dementia, in confidence on 0131 357 2611 or scotlandanclinic@dementiauk.org