GREYFRIARS MEDICAL CENTRE
SERVICES
OFFICE HOURS
Monday to Friday: 8.45am to 6.00pm
The surgery closes for in-house training on Wednesday lunchtime. During this time, emergency medical and nursing care can be obtained by telephoning the usual surgery number 01387 257752.
Once every three months or so, the surgery closes on a Wednesday afternoon for more intensive multidisciplinary training. On these occasions, emergency medical and nursing care is provided by the out of hours service and NHS24 (08454 24 24 24).
GENERAL MEDICAL SURGERIES (by appointment)
Morning Surgery: 9.00am to 11.00am
Afternoon Surgery: 1.00pm to 3.00pm (emergency cases only)
Evening Surgery: 3.30pm to 5.45pm
Please remember to report to the receptionists on arrival. If there is a queue at the desk, please use the touchscreen in Reception to automatically report your arrival - it is very simple to use with on-screen guidance. If for some reason you cannot keep your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so that someone else can be offered the appointment.
APPOINTMENTS
To make an appointment, please contact the Receptionists by calling at the Surgery or by telephoning between 9.00am and 6.00pm. Urgent cases will be seen the same day (see below), otherwise you will be offered the first available time. Sometimes, if your own doctor is booked up, you may be offered an appointment with one of the other doctors but normally they would prefer to see you themselves. If you cannot keep your appointment, please let us know as quickly as possible. Patients are welcome to consult with any of the doctors. In order to ensure continuity of care, it is preferable where possible for follow up treatment, that patients see the same doctor. If you have a gynaecological problem we advise you make a double appointment. Patients may consult with a female doctor should that be their preference.
TELEPHONE APPOINTMENTS
The Practice has introduced the option for patients to book a telephone consultation. There are many instances when the doctor and patient can work together to decide a course of action without the need for face to face consultation. The appointment is booked in the normal fashion and the doctor telephones the patient at the allotted time. Please note that telephone calls are recorded in order to ensure a high standard of patient care.
SAME DAY APPOINTMENT / HOME VISIT REQUESTS - TRIAGE
The Practice provides a Nurse led Triage system to process telephone requests for same day appointments and home visit requests. This is to ensure that patients are seen as soon as is necessary by the most appropriate member of the Practice team. If you phone the Practice requesting a same day appointment, you will be asked your name, address, contact telephone number and age. You will then be phoned back by our trained Triage Practice Nurse or a doctor to discuss your problem. For a potted history of triage in medicine, click on this link. Every day our Practice Nurses hold minor illness clinics and it may be appropriate for you to see the Practice Nurse or Nurse Practitioner with your problem.
HOME VISITS
If you require a home visit because you are housebound and too ill to attend the Surgery, you should telephone 257752. In order that the doctor can plan his rounds, please phone before 10.00am unless, of course, it is an emergency. The telephone number to contact the emergency on-call doctor remains unchanged: 257752. Please only ask for a home visit if you are really unable to visit the Surgery because of ill-health or disability. Home visits are very time consuming and inappropriate visits reduce the time available for your doctor to visit those in serious need.
OUT OF HOURS CARE - NHS 24
Emergency medical care in the evenings, overnight, at weekends and on public holidays is provided by NHS Dumfries & Galloway out of hours service and NHS 24 08454 24 24 24. They also offer health advice on-line (click here).
REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
By arrangement with your doctor, you may obtain repeat prescriptions by leaving a message on our answerphone at any time of day, night or weekend. The telephone number for this service is 01387 248248. Please note that we require at least two full working days' notice with the prescription being available for collection after 3pm two days later e.g. prescriptions ordered on Monday morning will be ready for collection after 3pm on Wednesday. Prescriptions ordered on a Friday or over the weekend will not be ready until Tuesday after 3pm.
All the town's pharmacies offer collection and, if necessary, delivery of repeat prescriptions. If you wish to make use of this service, please let us know which pharmacy you would like to use when you order your repeat prescription.
TELEPHONING THE PRACTICE
Our outside lines tend to be particularly busy between 8.45am and 11.00am. Whenever possible we would be grateful if telephone calls for routine matters such as making non-urgent appointments are made outwith this time. This should assist us to keep outside lines free for patients who have urgent problems. When telephoning for test results please call after 1.00pm. This gives the doctor time to consider the result and make comments for the receptionist to convey to you. If you require further advice or information from a doctor, the receptionist will offer you a telephone consultation. Please note that the Practice records telephone conversations in order to ensure a high standard of patient care.
OTHER SERVICES (NON-NHS)
Please arrange a special appointment for services such as private medical examinations, private sickness certificates, etc. The receptionist can advise you of the appropriate fee where applicable.
PRACTICE NURSES
Our Practice Nurses form an important part of our Practice Team. They perform a wide range of duties including telephone triage and follow-up of patients with diabetes, asthma and hypertension. Routine nursing duties as well as preventative medicine in the form of immunisations and well person clinics make up a large part of the practice nurses' work. They have undergone extensive additional training to enable them to perform these more specialised tasks. One of the nurses (Caroline Ralston) is qualified as a Nurse Practitioner and is thereby able to offer our patients an extended service.
DISTRICT NURSES
Our attached District Nurses hold regular surgeries in the Practice for general nursing care such as dressings, removal of sutures, etc. Patients confined to their homes who need nursing assistance may arrange for this with their doctor.
HEALTH VISITORS
The Health Visitor service is available to give advice on health care, particularly for expectant mothers, small children, the elderly and the handicapped. The Health Visitors can be contacted during normal working hours by telephoning either 257752 or 244000 or 253223 (Answering Machine Service). The Health Visitor is also available for consultation in the Surgery on a Tuesday between 1.30pm and 2.30pm, no appointment necessary.
COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC NURSES
The Community Psychiatric Nurse Service is available for advice and follow-up for patients requiring certain forms of support. Patients requiring this service may arrange for this with their doctor.
GP TRAINING SCHEME - LINK
Usually each year, fully qualified doctors (Registrars) who have worked only in hospitals are invited to join the Practice for a period of twelve months in order to gain experience in General Practice. You may, if you wish, make an appointment to see this doctor during normal Surgery times. On occasions, consultations with this doctor may be video-taped for training purposes. You will of course be notified in advance on these occasions and the consultation will be videotaped only with your full written consent.
MEDICAL STUDENTS
On occasion medical students may spend some time in the Practice to learn about general practice. You will of course be notified and your permission sought agreeing to a consultation with your doctor with the medical student in attendance.