GP practices are increasingly being asked to undertake work for NHS secondary care teams and for private providers. This additional workload puts added pressure onto practices. This affects many members of the practice team; GP time is required to review letters and results, nursing team time to obtain samples and reception and admin staff are involved in booking appointments and giving out results.

At the University Health Service (UHS) we have agreed the following when handling requests for monitoring and prescribing, taking into account the British Medical Association (BMA) guidance:

Please see here for more information.

You can download a self referral form below,

Prescriptions will be sent to the pharmacy you have previously told us you wish to use; if you have not told us where to send it, the prescription will be at 3rd floor reception for you to collect.

If your University Health Service doctor authorises re-prescriptions for you, you will be given a ‘Repeat Prescription Ordering Form’, detailing your medicines and the number of occasions these may be re-prescribed before you have to see the doctor to review your medication.

When you require “repeats” please:       

1. Send it to us (with a stamped addressed envelope so the prescription can be sent back to you).
2. Put the “Repeat Prescription Ordering form” in our prescription box on the 3^rd floor landing outside reception.
3. Submit to you preferred pharmacy to request on your behalf.
4. If you are registered for online booking you can request “repeats” online.

In all cases please allow 2-5 working days after ordering before attempting to collect the prescription.

Please note that you must consult a doctor at the University Health Service before you can use the repeat prescription facility.

How to order a repeat prescription in more detail

There are a number of ways that you can order repeat medication from the University Health Service. Please note that not all medication is suitable to be ordered as a repeat prescription, your GP will discuss this with you at the time of approving the medication.  We will not issue medications which are not on repeat prescriptions by this process.

All repeat medication is subject to regular review to ensure that the prescription remains appropriate for you, so occasionally items may not be issued without discussion with a GP.

Online ordering

You can order your repeat prescriptions online if you are signed up for online appointment booking.

https://www.health-service.ed.ac.uk/health-information/repeat-prescriptions/

If you wish to use this service and are not signed up then please enquire about this at reception the next time you are in the practice or Tel:01316502777.

Ordering at the practice

When you are issued with a prescription for an item that can be issued as a repeat, you will also be given a ‘Repeat Prescription Ordering Form’ (on the right hand side of the prescription) listing the items. Using this order form, clearly mark the items you require and either:

·       Put the “Repeat Prescription Ordering form” in our prescription box on the 3^rd floor landing outside reception.

·       Post it to us  (with a stamped addressed envelope so the prescription can be sent back to you)

 If you order by any of these methods above your prescription will be ready to collect at the University Health Service reception 2 full working days after we receive the request.

Please clearly indicate if you wish your prescription to be sent directly to a specific pharmacy. Please note that it may take longer than 2 days for the prescription to be ready if it is sent to a nearby pharmacy.

Alternatively if you enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your request and we will post the prescription to you.

Ordering at a local pharmacy

You can also arrange for your local pharmacy to order your repeat prescriptions on your behalf. Please discuss this with them directly if you wish to do this.  Once we receive the request for medication from your pharmacy this will be dealt with within 2 working days and returned to the pharmacy for them to dispense your medication. Such prescriptions are usually posted to the pharmacy (in envelopes provided by them) or collected by a member of their team, we do not send by email or fax, so please allow sufficient time for prescriptions to be ready via this method.

Please note that if you are out of Edinburgh and require your medication, you are requested to send a stamped addressed envelope with your request so that the prescription can be sent to you. We are not able to send requests by fax or email to a pharmacy.

This service is only available to patients referred by their doctor.

• Anxiety
• Depression 
• Panic Attacks

The Doctor in conjunction with our Community Midwives are pleased to undertake antenatal and postnatal care. Please speak to your doctor who will make the necessary arrangements.

Patients can now self refer to this service without seeing a GP. Visit www.ecps.scot.nhs.uk to download a referral form.

A GP Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner (APP)

A GP Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner (APP) now works within your GP practice. If you have, or think you have, a musculoskeletal (MSK) problem they provide an alternative to seeing you GP.

They provide expert assessment of MSK conditions i.e. muscle, bone and joint problems such as back, neck, shoulder or knee pain. They can provide you with a clinical diagnosis, give you advice on how to manage the problem and suggest appropriate exercise for you to work on independently.

With your agreement and when appropriate, they can refer you to specialist services such as physiotherapy for supported rehab, X-Ray or orthopaedics. If needed they can liaise with your GP to arrange medication or discuss any non- MSK symptoms which might have been found.

You can request an appointment with the GP APP; you may also be directed to them by reception staff who have had training to help them guide you to GP APP. Your GP may also ask you to see the GP APP for an expert MSK opinion

• Ankle pain 
• Elbow pain
• Hand pain
• Neck pain
• Wrist pain

Musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy options:

1. When should I see a GP or GP Advanced physiotherapy practitioner (GPAPP) in my GP Surgery?

· If you are not sure that the problem is MSK, or that physiotherapy rehabilitation is the right treatment option for you, or you would like an assessment and to discuss your treatment options

· If you feel your referral to MSK out patients is urgent

· If you are experiencing any of the symptoms below you must contact your GP surgery or NHS111

· Fainting

· Bowel/bladder problems

· Reduced or altered sensation in your groin, genitals or back passage area

· Weakness in both legs

· Unexplained weight loss

· Dizziness

· Blurred vision

· Swallowing problems

· Speech impairment

· History of cancer

1. When should I self refer to MSK out patients physiotherapy

· If your referral is routine and you are over 16

· You have ONE MSK condition /area you would like assessed.

· You can attend the out patient clinic

If your problem is urgent, severe or getting worse then you should call NHS 111 or contact your GP practice.

Completion of Medical Forms – For completion of medical forms, e.g. pre-employment medicals, insurance, Camp America, Certificates of Fitness, electives/year out etc, these should be handed in to 3rd floor reception to be assessed on:

• Whether or not an appointment is required.
• If there is a fee payable for this work since it is not covered by general medical services.

Forms must be left for at least 24 hours after which time the practice should be contacted to ascertain if an appointment/fee is required.

If the form is for electives/year out there will be no fee but a letter confirming this is required from a Director of Studies. Without this letter a fee will apply.

This service is only available to patients referred by their doctor.

Health Visitors

The health visiting team is based at

Conan Doyle Medical Centre,
4 Nether Liberton Lane,
Edinburgh EH6 5TY.
Telephone 0131 666 5175.

If calling, please leave a short message with your child’s name and date of birth and
someone will get back to you.

Hours of work are Monday-Friday 9-5. We are closed on NHS public holidays.

Health visitors are nurses or midwives with additional training in health visiting. We
offer support to families by promoting health and development and monitoring
growth. We can support with issues such as feeding, sleeping, toileting & behaviour.
Appointments usually take place in a family’s own home.

Someone from the team will contact you if your child has recently registered at the
GP practice or you have just had a baby. You may also be contacted in the last
trimester of pregnancy by your health visitor to introduce themselves and the service.

If you have any medical concerns about you or your child, please seek appropriate
medical attention by calling your GP practice. If out of hours, call NHS 24 on 111. In
an emergency please call 999.

Immunisations are no longer carried out by health visitors. Please contact the
community vaccination team on 0131 312 1860 if you have any vaccination
appointment queries.

Some useful online parenting resources can be found here:

We’re here for you | Parent Club
Child Accident Prevention Trust | A safer world for all our children (capt.org.uk)
Support for families – The City of Edinburgh Council[258520814]
BASIS – Baby Sleep Information Source (basisonline.org.uk)
First Steps Nutrition Trust
Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train – ERIC

Contraceptive advice is always available from the doctors and nurses. We are committed to providing a confidential and easily accessible contraceptive service for our patients

Contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices (IUD’s, coils) are fitted and removed at the practice. This is done in a dedicated, long acting and reversible contraceptive (LARC) clinic. You will need to make an appointment at the clinic with any doctor/nurse for an initial discussion prior to insertion.
You can read our Practice Information leaflet about coil fitting here.

For routine, or emergency contraception, please see a doctor during appointment or open access surgeries.

The nursing team can see patients for repeat contraceptive pill supplies of the following brands, also for emergency contraception.

Pills

Cerazette
Femodene
Katya
Marvelon
Microgynon
Ovranette
Rigevidon

Emergency contraception (not issued as a repeat)

Ella One (morning after pill)
Levonelle (Morning After Pill)

Injections

Depo-Provera

Please ask at Reception or phone 0131 650 2777 to make an appointment.  

If you would like a repeat prescription of the pill follow the repeat pill link below and then once complete call 0131 650 2777 and ask to book a BP BOOTH Appointment