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The purpose of this site is to give patients and prospective patients help, guidance and information on the services provided by the practice. We hope that you will find it useful.
If you feel there is something that should be added to this website or is inaccurate, please contact Helen on 01456 450577.
Telephone: 01456 450577
Fax: 01456 450799
Email: hmacdonald3@nhs.net
News items
Seasonal Influenza Vaccinations 2012/2013.
This season we held 6 Seasonal Influenza Clinics in total. 2 sessions were held at the Glenurquhart Care Centre and 4 "drop in" sessions held at the Blairbeg Hall. The invitations were for our patients who either have a long term medical condition (e.g. of the heart, lung, kidney, liver, spleen; neurological conditions including stroke & TIA; diabetes; or with lowered immunity due to disease or treatment). Anyone who is an unpaid carer for an older or disabled person, all pregnant women and anyone who would be 65 years old by the end of March.
In total 548 patients received their seasonal influenza vaccination which was a great result.
Many thanks to everyone who made the 2012/2013 Seasonal Flu "Drop In" Clinics a great success by attending these sessions.
Information Leaflet
We wish to issue a Drumnadrochit Medical Practice Information Leaflet to all of our patients but in order to save costs these leaflets are available on the website, at the surgery and the pharmacy. We hope this leaflet helps keep our patients updated on practice developments and services.
Repeat Prescription
Patients using this website to order their medication continues to grow. Over 300 patients are regularly ordering their prescriptions every month using this very convenient method. Your order can be placed at any time, day or night, even at the weekend!
Opening times
The surgery is open from 8.30am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.
We are closed for lunch between 1.00pm and 2.00pm although a doctor is available for patients requiring urgent medical attention. To speak to a doctor please telephone between 1.30pm and 2.00pm. If you need to speak to a specific doctor please leave the patient's details (ie Name, Date of Birth, urgency of the call, contact number and the nature of the call) and the doctor will return your call.
We are closed on public holidays and also close for one afternoon per month for staff training.
Appointments
To make an appointment please telephone the surgery between the above times. (excluding lunch hour). We offer a range of appointments between 8.30am - 5.30pm. The earlier and later appointments are reserved for patients who work or at school and unable to attend because of these commitments.
Consultation is by appointment only and the practice offers a 15 minute appointment slot. If you have more that one medical problem to discuss you may be asked to make another appointment. If you require to be seen urgently, please phone as early as possible and we will endeavour to give you an emergency appointment for that day problems but you may not see the doctor of your choice. Alternatively you may be asked to speak to a doctor or nurse who will discuss the problem with you and agree what action, if any, should be taken. Please remember to cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend.
Arriving Late for Appointments
Recently, we are encountering more and more patients that are arriving late for their appointments and are still expecting to be seen by the doctor. This is unfair on the patients that have arrived on time for their appointment as they are then being delayed.
We have audited the late arrivals and have decided that should a patient arrive late we can no longer promise that you will be seen by the doctor and you may be asked to make another appointment.
Of course should there be a reasonable reason why you are late then we will ask the clinician if they will still see you.
Nights, weekends and public holidays - Out of hours care
If you require a doctor out of hours (from 6pm until 8am the following morning, and at weekends) or when the surgery is closed for public holidays or staff training, please telephone NHS 24 directly on 08454 24 24 24. At NHS 24 you will speak to a highly trained nurse who will be able to advise on the best course of action.
This might be advice, referral to a GP at a Primary Care Emergency Centre or to the Accident and Emergency Department, both at Raigmore Hospital. Transport may be available for those who cannot get to the Centre themselves.
In the case of a medical emergency, for example a collapsed patient please dial 999 as this is the fastest way to get urgent medical attention. If however you have contacted NHS 24 and the nurse feels that your problem is very urgent, he or she will contact an ambulance for you immediately.
Where it is appropriate a doctor will come to visit you at home. As the doctor on duty has a very large area to cover, it can take some time for the doctor to arrive. You also have access to nurse and midwives at the Primary Care emergency centres and in the community.
You can contact NHS 24 directly on 08454 24 24 24. Top of page
New patient registration
We are registering all new patients with the doctor with the shortest list. You are however free to make appointments with any doctor you wish. If you wish to register as a permanent patient (you are staying in our area for longer than 3 months) please print the Patient Registration Form and New Patient Questionnaire for each member of the family. We need your signature so please hand in the form to us in person. You may be asked to provide proof of identity or relevant documentation if you have taken up residency in Scotland. New patients are given a questionnaire which helps us plan your heath care. We also suggest you make a double appointment for a New Patient medical with the practice nurse soon after registering with us so that a brief history of previous illness can be taken and routine checks of blood pressure etc may be made.
Please download the Patient Registration Form or Patients Registration Form.pdf for each member of the family but this will need a signature so please hand this form into reception.
Please download the New Patient questionnaire as a word or pdf document New Patient questionnaire.
The completed form can either be posted, handed in or emailed to the surgery. Top of page
Repeat prescriptions
We are no longer taking requests for medication by telephone as feedback has shown that patients are having problems phoning the surgery in an emergency because the line is constantly engaged. If you have internet access you could email your request anytime (see link below). You could use your re-order form or hand write a note which can be deposited in the box beside reception, or you could post your request to the surgery. Please allow at least 48 hours for your request to be completed. Please order in plenty of time, do not wait until you have run out of medicines. Your request is processed within 24 hours and the prescription note is sent to the pharmacy. The Pharmacist then requires 24 hours to dispense your medication which will be ready to collect at the Pharmacy after 3pm.
We now offer an email facility for ordering your medications.
Please note that Electronic transmission of data via our website (i.e. emails to us and using the electronic repeat prescription facility) may not be totally secure. If you are happy using the internet we would like to take this opportunity to ask you if you have an email address that we could add to your computerised medical records for future use or do you use a mobile phone? Top of page
Home visits
Please request home visits before 10.00am, if possible, so that the doctor can prioritise their visits. It is much appreciated if you can attend the surgery if at all possible. House visits are very time consuming, for every patient visited at home, three can be seen in the surgery in the equivalent time. In addition the surgery is a more practical environment to see patients with all the required equipment readily at hand. Please ensure we have the correct address for the patient, the nature of the call as it helps the doctor prioritise the urgency of the call and leave a contact telephone number. The doctor may wish to telephone you to obtain further information about your symptoms. Top of page
Telephoning the doctor
At times the doctor may be busy and the receptionist will suggest an alternative time to telephone. Interruptions during consultations are upsetting for the patients and doctors. For this reason our staff have been instructed not to disturb consultations with non-urgent telephone calls. To speak to a doctor, please telephone between 1.30pm and 2.00pm. If you need to speak to a specific doctor, please leave your name and contact number and the doctor will return your call. If you are using a mobile phone we may ask you for that number. Top of page
Health care for overseas visitors
The following link has been added to provide information about overseas visitors' health rights. The factsheets tell workers, students, asylum seekers and refugees, former residents, UK passport holders, pensioners living abroad and holidaymakers from overseas about the NHS services they can expect to receive in Scotland. You will find the full text for the factsheets. You can also download a pdf copy or get the information in a number of formats: Health care for overseas visitors Top of page
Travel advice and vaccinations
Please make an appointment with either the Practice Nurse or a doctor. It is helpful if you complete a travel itinerary and questionnaire prior to your appointment as this enables us not only to check what vaccinations are required but also to ensure that they are in stock. Please leave plenty time before your date of travel as some vaccinations take time to provide protection. Sometimes you need several appointments to get all the vaccinations you require. The Fit for Travel website has lots of useful information.
The NHS does not fund all travel vaccinations. You may be asked to pay for the cost of vaccinations such as hepatitis and typhoid, and malaria tablets.
You can download the pre-travel questionnaire as either a 
Word or 
pdf document. The completed form can either be posted, handed in or
emailed to the surgery.
Please note that Electronic transmission of data via our website (i.e. emails to us and using the electronic repeat prescription facility) may not be totally secure. Top of page
Dental problems
If you have a dental problem the most appropriate person to contact is your dentist. If you require antibiotics or pain relief a dentist can write a prescription for these. GPs are not in the best position to deal with dental problems as they are not trained in dentistry nor do they have the appropriate equipment. The problem will recur unless properly assessed and treated by a dentist. If you do not have a dentist please telephone the Dental Helpline on 01463 704688 for advice on how to register. Further information regarding community dental services can be found on the Dental Services website.Top of page
The Fit Note – Medical Statement of Fitness
for Work
The Fit Note replaced the Sick Note in April 2010
(www.dwp.gov.uk/fitnote).
This change allows your doctor to advise how your health condition affects
your ability to work.
But the following stays the same:
- For the first 7 days of sickness
Your employer cannot ask you to provide a Fit Note, but may ask you to fill in a self certificate of their own design, or Form SC2 "Employee's Statement of Sickness"
when you have been sick for 4 days or more in a row. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/sc2.pdf).
If you are sick for more than 7 days
Your employer can ask you to provide a Fit Note for Statutory Sick Pay (and Benefits) purposes. The advice on the Fit Note is not binding on employers – it is up to your employer to decide whether or not you are capable of work.
Free professional and confidential support on all
health and work issues, including those raised by the Fit Note, is available
to you:
Healthy Working Lives Advice Line
0800 019 2211
www.healthyworkinglives.com
Patient Information
Click here for some useful websites for patient information .
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Disclaimer: Though we endeavour to make sure that the information provided on this web site is reliable and accurate, Drumnadrochit Medical Practice cannot accept responsibility for any detriment caused by its use. Browsing this web site for medical information, although useful, is not a substitute for consulting with your doctor. Patients should not hesitate to contact us for advice regarding health matters that they are concerned about.