Biggar Health Centre

Welcome to Biggar Health Centre

Click this link to order Repeat/Acute Prescriptions online

Opening Hours

The practice is open between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday through to Friday, with extended G.P. surgeries every Wednesday evening from 6.00 - 7.45pm.

G.P. Appointment System

We offer a variety of appointments:-

• Appointments bookable in advance
• Appointments bookable 'on the day'
• Urgent same day appointments
• Telephone appointments
• Review clinics
• Chronic disease clinics
• Acupuncture clinics
• Extended G.P. surgeries every Wednesday evening from 6.00 - 7.45pm
• Extended Nurse surgeries every weekday morning from 7.30 - 7.50am

We also operate an appointments system for nurse clinics. Please telephone if you wish to book an appointment. Routine appointment scheduling varies on a day to day basis. 

If you require to be seen the same day you will either be offered an appointment by a receptionist to be seen that day or, if appropriate, you will be put through to the duty doctor and he/she will arrange to see you later the same day.

Routine appointments are listed below. It should be noted that if a doctor is on Duty, or Housecall duty, then their routine times will not be available that day.

Doctor/Nurse	Commuter/ Special Late Morning Surgery	Telephone Surgery	Afternoon  Surgery	Extended Opening Hours
Dr AMD Goldie Dr P McGregor Dr PB Strigner Dr D Carvel Dr J K Hutchison	8.00am - 12.00 noon	2.00 - 2.30pm	3.00 - 6.00pm	Wednesdays 6.00 - 7.45pm
P/N Kirsten Steele P/N Barbara Muir	8.00am - 12.00 noon		1.00 - 6.00pm	Wednesdays 6.00 - 7.45pm Mon - Friday 7.30 - 8.00am
TR/N Mary Brownlie	8.00am - 12.00 noon		1.00 - 6.00pm	Mon - Friday 7.30 - 8.00am
HCSW Irene Smith HCSW Ros Wallace	8.00am - 12.00 noon	1.00 - 2.00pm

 

BIGGAR MEDICAL PRACTICE

 IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PATIENTS - AUGUST 2010

NHS Lanarkshire has recently had the opportunity to migrate towards a single General Practice computer system. In carrying this forward, the General Practice community and Information Management and Technology (IM/T) Departments have worked co-operatively and efficiently together to decide on the GP IT system that best meets the needs of Lanarkshire practices.

No system is without its upheaval, but the evidence from practices in other health board areas that have already migrated to their new systems is that this temporary period of discomfort leads to a much improved, and more efficient, way of accessing and using patient clinical information. At Biggar Medical Practice, we believe that there are many advantages to be gained by moving from the current clinical system; faster screens and reports for enhanced services, improved ability to link to other board systems, etc.

We will be changing our clinical system week commencing 1^st November 2010. There will be unavoidable disruption to patient care, and to minimise this as much as possible for both patients and staff, preparation for this change has already commenced within the Practice.

Medication

Repeat Prescriptions:-  From 1^st September 2010, we will be issuing you with four monthly repeat prescriptions to ensure that you have enough medication to cover you from 1^st September 2010 until the end of November 2010.

Acute Prescriptions and Necessary Changes to Medication:-  These will not be affected.

Laboratory Results:-  Approximately from late October 2010 NHS Lanarkshire will freeze our access to our electronic laboratory results. There will be disruption to the length of time it takes to get your result back, specifically from the last week in October 2010 until approximately 19^th November 2010. Assuming that we have your most up to date contact details, we will endeavour to contact you with any urgent results. If you have changed any of your personal contact details and not advised the practice, please contact the Health Centre as soon as possible and ask for a Change of Details form (downloadable version on this website).

 

Seasonal Flu Vaccinations:-  There will be no planned delay in commencing with our seasonal flu campaign.

Appointment System

Routine Appointments:-  During the last week of October 2010 and the first week of November 2010, we would appreciate that, where possible, you avoid booking routine appointments for something that can wait until after our clinical system changeover. If you are unsure, please discuss with staff.

Exceptions

• Urgent bloods requested by GP or hospital
• Blood test prior to chemotherapy
• Contraception
• GP Referrals for ECG
• Asthma Attacks
• Diabetes
• Hormone injection, and urgent travel vaccinations

Patient Administration

New Registrations:-  During this two week period we will be unable to add new patients to our register. We will accept new patients but the formal registration process will not take place until after the clinical system changeover.

Insurance Reports, Claim Forms, HGV Medical Examinations, Blue Badge Claims, DWP, etc:-  There WILL be a delay in completing any of the above. If you can, please avoid this period.

 

ADVISING US OF CHANGES TO YOUR CONTACT DETAILS

It is absolutely imperative that you let us know if you change any of your contact details, including address, telephone numbers, email address, etc.  

We have 'Change of Details' forms available to collect from the Health Centre. You can also click the link below for a downloadable version of the form. If you wish a hard copy by post, please send us your written request along with a stamped addressed envelope.

CHANGE OF DETAILS FORM

INTERPRETER NEEDS

Do you need help with an interpreter? Please let us know how we can help.

An induction loop system is in use in the practice for visitors with a hearing impairment. Please set your hearing aid to the T position.

Useful information:

http:/www.rnid.org.uk/howwehelp/

Freephone Information Line: 0808 808 0123

RNID Communications Service 0845 685 8000

To book an Interpreter textphone 0808 808 9000

informationline@rnid.org.uk

Language Line Services

European Headquarters

40 Bank Street 25th Floor

Canary Wharf

London E14 5NR

www.languageline.co.uk

Translations & Lingo Systems

Tel: 0800 917 6584

Fax: 0800 085 3911

translations@languageline.co.uk

Telephone Interpreting, Face-to-Face Interpreting & General Enquiries

Tel: 0800 169 2879

Fax: 0800 783 2443

enquiries@languageline.co.uk

Transcription Services

Tel: 0800 121 4693

transcriptions@languageline.co.uk

ORGAN DONATION - THE GIFT OF LIFE

There is a critical shortage of organs and the gap between the number of organs donated and the number of people waiting for a transplant is increasing. Right now, more than 8,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant and every year around 400 people die while waiting.

Organs that can be donated after death include the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas and small bowel. Tissues such as skin, bone, heart valves and corneas can also be used to help other people.

To decide whether or not you wish to give life to someone else after you have died is something very personal and it is important that everyone makes their own decision. Even if you already carry a donor card you should join the register to ensure your wishes are recorded. Discuss your decision with those closest to you so they know your wishes should the time ever come.

How to Join The Register

Call      0845 60 60 400 

Visit      www.uktransplant.org.uk

Collect a form from the Health Centre and return it to the NHS Organ Donor Register. You don't even need a stamp.

COURTESY COLLECTION SERVICE OF PRESCRIPTIONS TO GRAEME PHARMACY 

In an effort to improve upon our already high quality of service to patients, we are in the process of reviewing collection/delivery of prescriptions issued by the health centre.

You may find a consent form attached to your next prescription, and we have a supply in the waiting area of the health centre as well as a downloadable version (click below). You will be asked to select whether you wish to have your prescriptions delivered to Graeme Pharmacy, kept at the health centre for collection, or sent to you by post (on receipt from you of a SAE).

This will be a permanent arrangement on your medical record for every prescription unless we receive written instructions to the contrary from you. This means that if you opt to have your repeat prescriptions sent to Graeme Pharmacy, you will not be permitted to uplift them from the Health Centre as they will be in the process until staff from the chemist come and collect them. Therefore, please remember to have your repeat request with us in plenty of time.

Repeat Scripts Consent froms.doc

Emailing Requests for Acute/Repeat Prescriptions

Please refer to the Home Page and the 'Our Services' page of this website for two ways of emailing the health centre with your request. There are details of a dedicated email address, and also directions for filling out an on-screen form. Please note that your patient ID number is on the top of your paper repeat prescription list, although it is not necessary to have this number in order to fill out the form on-screen.

Please ensure that you have entered your own email details correctly when filling out the form so that a copy of your request can be sent to you. You can add the address sending the email to your address book (post@net-blast.com) and check any other spam/junk filter software that you use to make sure that your acknowledgement is not stopped by your own filters.

N.B.    Please DO NOT email prescription requests to Mrs Frances Wallace, Practice Manager.

COLLECTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS

Please refer to the guidance table below, which demonstrates the day on which your prescription will be ready to collect depending on which day you made your request. 

Please note that emails received by the Health Centre after 6.00pm will count as having been received on the next business day.

Please note that there are very few exceptions to the above. Exceptions would include urgently required medication such as inhalers, etc.

District Nurses Telephone Number

01899 229536.

Health Visitor (Lanarkshire Area)

01555 811476.

Extended Opening Hours

On Wednesday evenings there is an extended evening surgery with Doctor and Practice Nurse appointments available from 6.00pm to 7.45pm.

There are also Practice Nurse appointments available Monday through to Friday from 7.30am to 8.00am.

Kello Hospital, Biggar

Treatment Room

For patients who require stitches removed or dressings changed, there is an open access treatment room at the Kello Hospital open from 2.30 - 5.00pm each day. If you are unable to attend during these times please contact the Kello Hospital direct on 01899 220077 to make an alternative arrangement.

Patients who arrive with suspected fractures will be advised to go to Wishaw General Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or St John's Hospital, Livingstone.

Young Parent Survival Guide

Promoting Positive Policies and Services for One Parent Families

We have a copy of the Young Parent Survival Guide in the waiting area of the health centre for young parents to have a read through if they wish. This is generally aimed at under 25s, with information about money, legal advice, childcare, housing and other useful tips.

If you are a lone parent and you need free confidential information, please phone 0808 801 0323 (Mon - Fri 09:30-16:30)

There is a supply of cards in the waiting area with this number on it.

Automated Arrivals System

Biggar Health Centre has an automated arrivals system installed in the waiting area. This means that you will be able to ‘check in’ when you arrive for your appointment, using the touch-screen.

The automated arrivals system works with our own computer clinical system. This means that all appointments you have made with a GP or nurse will not only be on our computer system, but they will also be on the automated arrivals system.

How to Use the Automated Arrivals System:-

• The system will identify you either by you entering your date of birth on the touch-screen. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL DATES OF THE MONTH FROM 1 THROUGH TO 31 ARE ON THE SCREEN SO THERE IS NO NEED TO TRY TO ENTER A TWO DIGIT NUMBER FOR THE DATE OF THE MONTH OF YOUR BIRTH. WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED REGISTERING YOUR ARRIVAL PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRESS 'ARRIVE ME' OR THE SYSTEM WILL NOT RECOGNISE YOUR ARRIVAL. 
• The system can also identify you by fingerprint recognition. This requires you to go through a registration process but once complete makes your arrival process a simple two touch action on the screen.

• Within seconds you will be informed who you are seeing and the approximate waiting time.

Benefits of the automated arrivals system:-

• It will cut down the length of time you will spend queuing at the reception window just to ‘check in’

• It will allow our receptionists to spend more time in person with patients who have special needs or complex queries

• It will also allow our receptionists to spend more time answering phone calls and deal with administrative matters

EMERGENCY CARE SUMMARY (ECS)

WHAT IS THE ECS?

The Emergency Care Summary is an extract of data from Practice Computer Systems. The extract consists of the following:-

• Patient demographics (CHI number, forename, surname, previous surname, address and post code, telephone number(s), date of birth, sex, current GP practice, seen by GP)
• Allergies and adverse reactions
• Medication (drug name, dose, quantity, date prescribed)
• acute prescriptions from last 30 days
• current repeat prescriptions (drug name, dose, qty, date prescribed) in the last 12 months
• Consent status
• Registration status
• Deducted field indicating that the patient is no longer registered at the practice (if applicable)

WHAT IS THE ECS FOR?

The ECS is for patients who need care out of hours when their own surgery is closed, especially if they are unable to remember details about their own current prescriptions. If you require medical care after 6.00pm or at weekends, NHS24 and Out of Hours centres will be able to access your ECS records. This will tell the clinicians which drugs you are taking, all medications prescribed within the last year and whether you have had any adverse reactions. If you would like to see your ECS, please ask for a print-out at reception. There are leaflets available in the waiting area. This service will soon be available in A & E and in all areas of Scotland. If you do not wish to have an ECS record and wish to opt out, please inform the Practice Manager.

Travel Clinics

If you are planning an overseas trip and are unsure of what, if any, vaccinations or malaria pills you might need, Travel Forms are available from reception, or downloadable as below. One form per person should be completed and returned to us. Please ensure that the telephone number you enter on the form is an easily contactable number and that you have signed the form. Once these forms are returned to us, a Practice Nurse will check if you need any vaccination treatment and/or malaria pills and contact you within two to three days to arrange appointments, or a vaccination schedule if necessary.

If you are leaving the country for an extended period you may need vaccinations eight weeks prior to departure. Please obtain Travel Forms as per the above procedure.

There is no charge for the Travel Clinic. If you pay for your prescriptions you may be charged the current prescription fee for some vaccinations, and some more complicated vaccine schedules may require a private prescription. This can, however, be discussed with a Practice Nurse.

Travel Form Side 1.doc

Travel Form Side 2.doc

NO SMOKING POLICY - NHS LANARKSHIRE

The revised No Smoking Policy came into force on 1st August 2008.

It means that people are no longer allowed to light up ANYWHERE INSIDE NHS LANARKSHIRE PREMISES OR WITHIN ITS GROUNDS, including hospitals, clinics health centre entrances, AND IN VEHICLES PARKED ON NHS PREMISES.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2010/2011

FRIDAY 2ND APRIL	GOOD FRIDAY
MONDAY 5TH APRIL	EASTER MONDAY
MONDAY 3RD MAY	MAY DAY
MONDAY 31ST MAY	BANK HOLIDAY
MONDAY 19TH JULY	FAIR MONDAY
MONDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER	BANK HOLIDAY
MONDAY 27TH DECEMBER	CHRISTMAS CLOSURE
TUESDAY 28TH DECEMBER	CHRISTMAS CLOSURE
MONDAY 3RD JANUARY 2011	NEW YEAR CLOSURE
TUESDAY 4TH JANUARY 2011	NEW YEAR CLOSURE

Please ensure that your medication is up to date and that any requests for prescriptions are with the Health Centre or Graeme's Pharmacy at least one week before closure at the very latest. During closure, in an emergency phone NHS24 directly on 08454 24 24 24, or the Health Centre number 01899 220383, or 999.

 

GP Training Closure

 

The Health Centre will be closed for GP training from 1.00pm on Wednesday 15th September 2010.

The phone lines will be transferred to the Out of Hours Service at 1.00pm and we will re-open at 8.00am on Thursday 16th September 2010.

There will be an extended evening surgery on Wednesday 15th September 2010 as usual from 6.00pm.

 

Smoking Cessation

All pharmacies within Lanarkshire are now providing one-to-one advice for those wishing to stop smoking.

If you want some advice about smoking cessation, please ask at Graeme Pharmacy on the High Street in Biggar. Tim May, the Pharmacist, will be pleased to offer you a consultation in a private room and can also provide you with a course of nicotine replacement if appropriate.

Graeme Pharmacys’ telephone number is 01899 220019

Continuing Advancement

Healthcare Support Workers

We are delighted to report that Mrs Irene Smith, Mrs Ros Wallace, and Mrs Shirley Craig have attained their Caledonian University Niche Programme Certificates, which means that, in addition to their already valued workload of taking bloods, carrying out ECGs, and checking blood pressure, they can now routinely give flu injections and B12 injections.

Breast Cancer Care

SECA: Secondary Breast Cancer Support Group

Glasgow, every other Wednesday 11am – 1pm

Facilitated by an experienced counsellor or therapist, SECA support group for women with secondary breast cancer provides a unique opportunity for you to talk about your feelings and concerns with other people facing similar issues.

Anyone with a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer is welcome to attend, provided there is space, but registration is essential. To book a place or find out more call 0845 077 1893 or email secondaryservices@breastcancercare.org.uk

Breast Cancer Care Free Helpline: 0808 800 6000

Website: www.breastcancer.care.org.uk

NHS Lanarkshire: Wasting Medicine Wastes Money

Are you ordering medicine you’re not taking? If so tell your doctor or pharmacist.

For more information, call the General Enquiry Line on 08453 130 130.

Disability Football

Want to Play for Scotland?

Acquired Brain Injury? Stroke? Cerebral Palsy?

For information on Disability Football (participation/development/international), contact Stuart Sharp at the Scottish FA.

Tel: 0141 616 6071

Email: opportunities@scottishfa.co.uk

Bowel Cancer UK

Someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 15 minutes. Do you know what to look out for?

• A change in bowel habit lasting 4 weeks or more
• Bleeding from the bottom and/or blood in your poo
• Unexplained extreme tiredness and/or weight loss
• Pain or lump in your belly

Simple, check it.

Bowel Cancer Advisory Service: 0800 8 40 35 40

Or visit: www.checkit.org.uk

Scottish Social Services Council

The Code of Practice for Social Service Workers is published by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). It sets clear standards for social workers and people who work in social care and this includes:-

• Residential child care services

• Care homes for adults

• Adult day care services

• Early years services including nurseries, creches and out of school clubs

• Housing support services

Ask your social service worker about the SSSC Code and find out more about the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers at www.sssc.uk.com or email enquiries@sssc.uk.com to get a free copy.

Available in a range of languages including Braille, British Sign Language and Makaton.

PRACTICE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of an NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets the national criteria.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at the most a few weeks. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:

• within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem

or

• within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.

Complaints should be addressed to Mrs. Frances Wallace, Practice Manger. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment with Mrs. Wallace in order to discuss your concerns. She will explain the complaints procedure to you and will make sure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be useful if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.

What we shall do

We shall acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when we received it. We shall then be in a position to give you an explanation, or offer a meeting with those involved. In investigating your complaint, we shall aim to:

• find out what happened and what went wrong

• enable you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this

• ensure you receive an apology where this is appropriate

• identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness) of proving this.

Complaining to NHS Lanarkshire Operating Division

We hope that, if you have a problem you will make use of our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will give us the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. This does not affect your right to approach Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust complaints officer (Mr. Graeme Walsh, Clinical Risk Manager, Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust, Trust Headquarters, Airbles Road, Motherwell, ML1 3BW. Telephone number (01698 24500). You may also like to contact the Local Health Council for help – Complaints/Information Officer, Lanarkshire Health Council, Airbles Road, Motherwell,

ML1 3FE. Telephone number (01698 258188).

Drs. Goldie, McGregor, Strigner, Carvel & Hutchison

Biggar Health Centre

South Croft Road

Biggar

ML12 6BE

 

NHS SCOTLAND IS LAUNCHING A NEW NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION SERVICE FOR SCOTLAND – NHS INFORM

NHS Inform, a new national health information service for Scotland, is launching this summer.

NHS Inform will provide the public, patients and carers with a wide range of quality assured health information online at www.nhsinform.co.uk , over the telephone at 0800 22 44 88 (between 8am and 10pm) and in the future, face to face. 

Bringing together a wealth of national and local health information that already exists across the NHS and other sectors, NHS Inform will provide a single trusted resource for patients and members of the public.

The service is being developed by NHS Scotland in association with NHS partners and a range of voluntary sector stakeholders, who have been working closely to bring this information together, in one place.

NHS Inform is a developing service and will be launched in phases with the telephone and online services, provided by NHS 24, the first to go live on Tuesday 3^rd August 2010.

At launch, the site will feature elements such as:

• An updated and expanded Health A – Z
• Commonly asked questions
• Links to local information across Scotland
• Dedicated information on health and welfare topics including Scottish Backs, Health Rights, and more
• Behind the headlines features – looking at the health issues making the news and the truth behind the claims
• Health in my language – a portal to translated information about health and health services in Scotland

Among the many partners involved in developing NHS Inform are Macmillan Cancer Support, Minority Ethnic Carers of Older Peoples’ Project (MECOPP), the Scottish Consortium for Learning Difficulties and a range of other voluntary sector partners. NHS partners include NHS 24, NHS Education for Scotland (NES), Health Scotland, local Health Boards and NHS Choices.

 

NON-NHS CHARGES FROM 1st July 2009
Accident Report		With Medical		£ 175.50
		Report Only		£ 117.00
		Short Certificate		£ 15.50
Character Reference		For Job, Shotgun Certificate, Licence		£ 37.50
HGV and Bus Driver		Fitness Medical		£ 117.00
Elderly Driver		Fitness Certificate		£ 50.00
Elderly Driver		Fitness Certificate With Medical Examination		£ 117.00
Fitness to Attend Non-local Authority School				£ 117.00
Fitness to Travel Certificate				£ 35.00
Local Authority School Examination Certificate				£ 39.20
Holiday Cancellation Report/Certificate		Simple Certificate		£ 16.50
		More Complicated Certificate		£30.00 - £55.00
Passport Countersignature				£ 19.00
Pre-employment General Medical Examination and Report				£ 175.50
Private Medical Treatment Form Signature				£26.00
Private Sick Note				£ 15.50