We try to keep our Doctor appointments for patients with more serious health problems.
Before you book an appointment to see a Doctor, please consider whether visiting the Pharmacy or whether an appointment with our Primary Care Nurse or Practice Physiotherapist, might be appropriate. They can help you with a wide range of medical problems.
Our receptionists can help you decide who is the right person for you to see. They are trained to ask you what the problem is so they can triage you appropriately. They are bound to the same Confidentiality rules as your Doctor.
If your child has missed any school vaccinations, they will be seen at the next clinic for school vaccinations. They will not need to be seen at the Practice for their vaccinations. you can find more information here.
Self Care
If you have a cough, cold, headache or other minor ailment try treating yourself at home first. Find out more about treatments for common minor ailments.
Please remember that self-care for common conditions can help free up our Doctors time, making it easier to get an appointment when you have a more serious condition.
Your Pharmacist can help too
Pharmacists are highly trained health professionals and can give you confidential health advice for a range of common illnesses and complaints. Some Pharmacies can now also issue antibiotics for skin infections, UTI’s and medication for shingles. Your pharmacy can get you treatment much faster than your doctor could for common conditions.
Don’t wait for a Doctor appointment for coughs, colds, aches and pains. Just contact your local Pharmacy – there’s no need to make an appointment.
Your Pharmacist can also help you decide if you need to see a Doctor or Nurse.
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) which are particularly common in women and which some women experience regularly.
- Cystitis
- Period symptoms and pain
- Thrush
- Emergency contraception
- Bridging (short term) contraception
See how Pharmacy First can help you.
Opticians
If you have any problem with your eyes such as sudden blurriness, redness or pain you can call your local Optician for an emergency appointment. Optician’s are specially trained to treat the eyes and know more than your GP, so you should book an appointment to see them regarding any issues with your eyes and your eyesight. They have specialist equipment to check your eye health and can refer you to Raigmore Hospital if you require further treatment.
Dentist
You will be surprised to know that your GP receive little to no training on teeth and the mouth. If you have any tooth pain, you should contact your dentist for an emergency appointment. Your dentist can also help with jaw pain and teeth grinding or clenching. If you notice a mouth or tongue lesion, your dentist can also look at this for you and advise if you need urgent attention. If your dentist can’t see you for an appointment, call the dental helpline on 0800 141 2362.
Podiatry
Please also be aware that Podiatry presently have reduced appointment availability in all their clinics due to the practicalities of running clinics safely during Covid-19. This inevitably means they are seeing a much reduced volume of patients (face to face) than they were prior to this pandemic.
In an effort to ensure they do not overlook any urgent referrals, all new referrals are therefore being triaged and the majority of patients are offered a telephone triage / consultation. Some new referrals will proceed immediately to a face to face consultation.
Because of these limitations, Podiatry are actively prioritising their entire caseload, seeing those patients with the greatest risk/need as a first priority. This will inevitably mean that some patients presently on the waiting list (of low priority) may not be seen for some time.
At present, prioritisation includes those patients with a critical need that they have continued to see throughout this crisis, along with now some other additional patients from other higher risk groups:
2. In remission
4. Risk of tissue breakdown
5. High risk diabetic
6. Intractable foot conditions with/without core morbidities.
If you would like to self-refer to Podiatry, please find the form here.
NHS 111
111 is the free NHS non-emergency number.
You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation.
Call 111 if:
- you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency
- you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
- you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a Doctor to call
- you need health information or reassurance about what to do next
Click here for more information about how NHS 111 can help you.
A&E
A&E is for life-threatening accidents and emergencies only. Before you go there, ask yourself, “Is it a real emergency?”
If not, please consider using other local health services before you visit A&E.