Appointments

Can another health professional help?

Sometimes a GP may not be the most appropriate healthcare professional to deal with your ailment. Other professionals such as pharmacists, opticians and dentists may be better placed to help.

When calling the surgery, you will hear a recorded message advising you of the available options: i.e. if you require a clinician in an emergency press one: for same day appointments press two etc, and for all other enquiries please stay on the line and your call will be dealt with by a receptionist.

On booking your appointment you may be asked to give a few details. The reception staff will record these details as per practice protocol. Please do not be offended by this, as it will help us to help you- for example, the clinician may feel that you require longer than 15 minutes allotted to each appointment.

Arrange an appointment 

To request an appointment :

  • Appointments can be made by telephoning the practice or calling at reception. Please give as much notice as possible when cancelling an appointment
  • Appointments are available every day. An appointment with a specific doctor may be several days ahead. All surgeries are by appointment only and are for one patient per appointment
  • Please make a separate appointment if more than one member of the family is to be seen
  • We try to keep to time but please be patient if someone before you takes longer than planned
  • Appointments are normally ten minute slots, so if you have a complicated problem, or more than one problem, please ask for a longer appointment
  • It is Practice Policy to allow patients to choose whichever clinician they wish to attend in the Practice.

When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.

We will use the information you give us to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or health professional to help you.

Patients can, by choice see any clinician – provided that there is an appointment available. In the event of your preferred clinician being off on holiday, you will be offered an appointment with the most appropriate member of our multi-disciplinary team.

Same-day appointment 

For consultations that cannot wait for a routine appointment, we will endeavour to give you an appointment on the same day. You may not necessarily see the healthcare professional of your choice.

If all the appointments for the day are booked up, the receptionist will ask you to give some brief information of your problem and pass it to the on-call clinician who will decide to see you urgently or if you need to book a subsequent routine appointment.

Please help us and other patients needed urgent attention, but not requesting repeat certificates, repeat prescriptions, or referrals and long standing medical problems in the same day appointments.

Return and routine appointments 

Patients contacting the practice to arrange a routine pre-bookable appointment or return appointment, we ask that you call into the practice after 9.30am.

Emergency appointments

The On Call Clinician is responsible for all emergency requests, home visits, telephone advice calls, emergency appointments etc. We would appreciate your co-operation in not misusing these appointments.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

Cancel your appointment:

Routine vaccinations

Vaccinations help protect you and your family from many infectious diseases. You’ll be offered different routine vaccinations at different times, depending on your age and circumstances. For most routine vaccinations, NHS Lanarkshire will invite you by sending you a letter when you become eligible.You do not need to contact them to arrange your vaccinations.

You may be invited to a new location to receive your immunisations instead of your GP practice.

Your appointment

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

  • by phone
  • face to face at the surgery

Appointments by phone, can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

  • if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
  • if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, or by face-to-face
  • if you need an interpreter
  • if you have any other access or communication needs

If you need help when we are closed

The 111 service provides urgent care information and support if you think you need A&E but its not life-threatening, and advice when your GP, pharmacy or dental practice is closed.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

When to call 999

You should only call 999 in a medical emergency, when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

  • Emergencies can include:
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • An acute confused state
  • Chest pains
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
  • Severe allergic reactions
  • Severe burns or scalds
  • Major trauma, such as a road traffic accident or fall from a height.

If you are unsure if it is an emergency, call NHS 24 on 111.

What happens when you call 999

An operator will ask which emergency service you need. If it’s a medical emergency, ask for the ambulance service. The ambulance service will ask some questions to find out what has happened and arrange the most appropriate help.

Further information is available on the Scottish Ambulance Service website:

Scottish Ambulance Service >

By only calling 999 for serious illnesses or injuries, it means that people who need essential treatment can get it as soon as possible.

Home visits

If you are housebound and need an appointment, we will do a home visit. We will phone you first to understand what you need.

To request a home visit, it’s helpful if you phone the practice before 10:00am.

If a patient aged between 16 and 75 years has not had a practice consultation within a period of three years, we are happy, on request, to provide a consultation.

Additional information about your appointment with us
Can I bring someone to accompany me to the Appointment?

We are generally very happy for patients to bring with them a carer, relative or even a friend. This often helps, particularly when they know you well and it allows them to tell us any observations they would make about you, which can help us in undertaking our assessment. Ultimately this will lead us more quickly to make an accurate diagnosis and therefore help you more.

Also, having someone with you means they can prompt you to ask questions that you may have forgotten, and after the appointment they can help in reminding you what was discussed.

Occasionally we might ask for them to leave but this would be unusual.

If you require interpretation services please contact us in advance of you appointment and we will arrange this.

Chaperone Policy

We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.

You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.

Giving Consent for Treatment

You have the right to accept or refuse treatment that is offered to you, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless you have given valid consent. If you do not have the capacity to do so, consent must be obtained from a person legally able to act on your behalf, or the treatment must be in your best interests.

Your valid consent (agreement to the course of action) is needed for the treatment that’s offered to you before any physical examinations or treatment can be given. If you haven’t given your consent, you can accept or refuse treatment that’s offered to you.

It’s important to be involved in decisions about your treatment and to be given information to help you choose the right treatment. When making treatment choices, you’ll often discuss the options with your doctor or another healthcare professional.

If you have a suspected infectious disease

Please inform reception if you suspect an infectious disease, as this will enable us to deal with it appropriately during your visit to protect you, other patients and staff. 

Interpreter

If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and this will be arranged.

Intimate Examinations

During your care, a doctor may need to examine you in order to provide you with the best care. Occasionally this may involve an examination of intimate areas. We understand that this can be stressful and embarrassing. If this sort of examination is necessary:

  • We will explain to you why the examination is necessary and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
  • We will explain what the examination will involve, including whether you can expect it to be painful or uncomfortable.
  • We will obtain your permission before carrying out this examination You will be offered a chaperone.
  • At all times we will respect your privacy during the examination and while dressing and undressing.

Your doctor and the nursing staff will be happy to discuss any concerns you have about this.

Private Medical Examinations

Medical examinations for special purposes such as pre-employment, fitness to travel, elderly drivers, fitness to undertake sports etc, will require longer than a routine appointment.

These examinations do not form part of NHS Services, you will be charged for any such examination. Please check the fee chargeable when you require to arrange any such examination.