To arrange an appointment with a doctor or nurse, please ring 0131 337 2166 or call at Reception, between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Please note that in times of very high demand it may not always be possible to give you an appointment with the doctor of your choice. In an emergency our patients will always be seen by one of the doctors.

Please be on time for your appointment and if you no longer need to attend, please let us know so that we can offer the appointment to someone else.

Notes:

• Routine appointments are of 10 minutes duration
• Each appointment slot is for one person only
• We have some 5-minute catch-up appointments before mid-day, strictly for emergencies only
• We offer some ‘pre-school’ or ‘commuter’ appointments early some mornings, please enquire about those
• We regularly have medical students attached to the surgery. You will be told if the student is with the doctor or nurse you are here to see; if you would rather see the doctor or nurse alone this will be absolutely fine, please say
• The services of a translator to help non-English speakers through consultations can be arranged in advance.

Home Visits

If you are too ill or unable to attend the surgery because of your medical condition you may ask for a home visit. If you would please give the receptionist an idea of the problem, this will help the doctor assess the urgency of the situation; the doctor will normally phone you back prior to a visit.
It is very important to request home visits (other than emergencies) by 10.00am so that the doctor can plan the day ahead. Please feel free to telephone to discuss your problem with a doctor or nurse if you are unsure whether a home visit is necessary.

Telephone Advice

If you only need advice from the doctor or nurse please feel welcome to telephone the surgery. The staff will either pass your message on or advise you when you may speak to the doctor or nurse.

Bringing Someone With You

You are welcome to bring along a trusted relative or friend to your consultation with the nurse or doctor. Please tell the nurse or doctor if you are happy for your chaperon to hear what will be discussed.

Self referral

1. Social Work Department, Edinburgh City Council – telephone 0131 200 2373 for advice or to make an appointment
2. Chiropody and Podiatry at Springwell House, 26 Ardmillan Tce, Edinburgh – telephone 0131 537 7500; you must submit a completed self-referral form. Call at Springwell House or send them a SAE for one, or call with us – we have copies at Reception
3. Physiotherapy self reffarl for assessment and treatment. In order to do this you need to print and fill out the self referral form

In An Emergency (Out Of Hours)

f you need urgent medical advice when the surgery is closed, you can call the surgery number, 337 2166 - a recorded message will tell you how to contact the out-of-hours service - or call NHS 24 directly on 08454 24 24 24 where nurses have been specially trained to deal with your call and will take appropriate action, always involving a doctor where necessary.

Further information is available on the NHS 24 website: www.nhs24.com

In a dire emergency you should always dial 999

Your details

It is important that you keep us up to date with your address and contact details as there may be times when we need to rearrange surgeries and appointments, and will need to get in touch. It is helpful if you can let us know whether we can leave messages for you on answering machines or with anyone you share your home with. If you do not want us to do this, please make us aware.