PLEASE DO NOT TURN UP AT THE SURGERY WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT
For Coronavirus advice, including checking symptoms and testing, use the following link in the first instance - Coronavirus NHS Inform Scotland
REMEMBER - YOU MUST ATTEND THE SURGERY ALONE UNLESS YOU HAVE A CARER
Given the ongoing pandemic, please respect the need for NHS services to remain as safe as possible.
PRACTICE BOUNDARY - NEW AND EXISTING PATIENTS
We are pleased to let you know that our boundary has been extended and we can now accept registrations from addresses up to the canal which includes the Bught, Ballifeary, Dalneigh and Merkinch areas and heading east as far as Culloden Academy, including Moray Park Avenue, Moray Park Terrace, Moray Park Wynd, Woodside Farm Drive and Heights of Woodside.
Our previous boundary areas are all still included too - Citadel, town centre, Millburn, Crown, Raigmore, Inshes, Milton of Leys, Cradlehall, Culloden, Resaurie, Westhill, Smithton, Easter Muckovie, Culcabock, Drakies, Hilton, Milton, Castle Heather, Drummond, Lochardil, Holm, Culduthel, Druid Temple, Holm Dell to name a few!
Speak to reception or email reception nhsh.gp55874-reception@nhs.scot if you need clarification.
***UPDATE - GET A RECORD OF YOUR CORONAVIRUS VACCINATION STATUS***
A service that allows people travelling abroad to access their record of vaccination status themselves has launched. A vaccination status letter can be downloaded or requested in the post via a freephone helpline. Only those planning to travel to a county or territory where a record of vaccination status is needed as an entry requirement should download the letter or request it. You should only access your record if you are planning to travel within 21 days and it is a requirement of the destination.
The measures are intended to ease the burden on the NHS by removing the need for patients to ask their GP for a status record. As Scotland's vaccination programme progresses, vaccination status will be replaced by digital Covid Status Certificates, which will include vaccination and testing data to be used for outbound international travel.
You will be able access your Covid-19 Vaccine Status online, by logging on to www.nhsinform.scot/covid19status
It is unlikely that you will have a username and password to login in which case you will need to 'phone the helpline number.
The Freephone Covid Status Helpline will allow patients to get the record posted to them. They can be contacted on 0808 196 8565.
***COVID19 VACCINATION - UPDATE***
Every patient in the following groups have now received at least one appointment for their Covid19 vaccination (if you haven't, let us know!).
- all those 80 years of age and over
- 75-79 years of age
- 70-74 years of age
- Shielding patients
- 65-69 years of age
- 16-64 years with underlying health conditions, e.g. chronic heart/kidney/liver/neurological/respiratory disease, immunosupression, learning disability, carers etc)
Important info - once you have been given 2 appointment dates, we will not send for you again if you fail to attend - this is for all groups/ages - we will note you as "declined" on the basis that you have been offered 2 different appointment dates, but have declined to attend for any of them. Again, if you don't want to receive the vaccination or are unable to attend, please let us know. If you change your mind or are now home from working offshore/abroad etc and now want vaccinated, please contact us.
Second vaccination appointments for Pfizer - The majority of our patients have now received their second Pfizer vaccination. If you haven't received your second dose and are getting close to your 12 weeks since your first dose, you need to contact us. We have already contacted second dose patients who are now due, but not everyone turned up to their appointment - this makes work for us and potentially wastes vaccines so if you don't want your second vaccination, or you are unable to make the day/time you have been given, you need to let us know before the clinic!
Second vaccination appointments for Astra Zeneca (for those who had their 1st vaccination on or after Tuesday 13 April) - we are looking for a new external venue and will contact you with an appointment and details of where this will be held within the 12 weeks.
Unpaid carers - If you are an unpaid carer, you can self-identify/ register on-line via https://www.nhsinform.scot/carersregister or by calling the national contact centre: 0800 030 8013.
18-49 Age Group - Patients in the 18-49 year age groups who have not yet had a 1st dose will be contacted by NHS Highland and not the Practice for their vaccinations. Please don't contact us as we don't have any information about when/where these clinics will be held. Full details will be in letters sent out by NHS Highland.
As always please don’t contact the Practice about your vaccine unless we have asked you to. This keeps our phone lines free for patients with urgent medical issues.
CABS FOR JABS - FREE TAXI SERVICE
Inverness Cabs for Jabs provide a free taxi service for elderly and vulnerable patients to take them to and from their home address to their covid vaccination appointment. If you are in these categories and need transport, please contact the Surgery at least a few days before your appointment. Surgery staff will send your details to Cabs for Jabs and you will be contacted to arrange transport.
LOOKING FOR AN APPOINTMENT?
We have made some changes to the way we work to ensure we are best protecting and caring for all of our patients and staff. Patients should not come to the surgery, but should telephone us. Staff will take details and add you either to your usual doctor/nurse ‘phone back list or to the Duty Doctor. It is important that you give staff the reason for your call so they can get the best care for you. A member of the clinical team (doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or physiotherapist) will ‘phone you back to work out the best care for you. Please note we will only try 'phoning you twice - if we don't get an answer after trying a couple of times, you will need to 'phone us back. Remember that our number will come up on your 'phone as "withheld" or "private" so you need to answer! They might be able to deal with an issue during the ‘phone call or they can arrange for a video consultation with you or arrange to see you at an appointment in the Surgery. Our waiting room has reduced capacity and can now only have a maximum of 6 patients in the room. Please don’t turn up at the surgery without ‘phoning us first.
If we do ask you to come to the Surgery, please note the following points-
please do not arrive more than 5 minutes before your appointment, if possible. This is to reduce your waiting time either in your car or in the waiting room and minimise risks.
on arrival, either telephone us from your car so we know you have arrived, or press the buzzer at the front door and speak to a member of staff through the intercom.
if possible, attend your appointment alone as this reduces the number of people coming into the Surgery. This does not include a parent attending with a child or patients who require a carer, but please limit this to one accompanying person.
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NON-CORONA VIRUS INFORMATION BELOW!
ACTIVE HEALTH
The Active Health project aims to support people to become more active as a way of improving health and wellbeing. You can self refer to this and it is for anyone who would benefit from being more physically active. A Link Worker will meet with you to discuss motivation, interests and will help you set goals and form an activity plan, if you would like one, and then check in on how you are getting on. We all know that changing habits can be a really hard thing to do but the Link Workers will support you to work out what sort of activity would best fit with your lifestyle and be sustainable. They can also facilitate introductions to other agencies and organisations who deliver activity based services.
For more information, contact Active Health direct -
Mobile - 07564 166897
NEW PATIENTS WELCOME!
Are you new to the area or looking to change Practice? We would be happy to help you. You can register by clicking here or call the Surgery to speak to the reception staff. Please remember and check that your address is within our boundary first.
MOVING HOUSE OR LOOKING TO REGISTER WITH US? Please check our boundary area!
For new and existing patient frequently asked questions, Click here for more information - please contact the Surgery and we will happily check your new address for you.
PRESCRIPTIONS
For information on prescriptions click on the tab above or simply click here to order yours.
The prescription service is a 48 hour turnaround or 72 hours if you want your prescription sent to a chemist. We will no longer check if your prescription is ready if the 48 hours have not elapsed - please do not 'phone the Surgery to check if your prescription has been signed!
Please remember, when there are public holidays and weekends, the service is 2 working days to process requests so please don't allow yourself to run out of medicines
Avoid the hassle and save time with your repeat prescriptions! Ask your pharmacist about the Chronic Medication Service
Click here for more information: CMS Leaflet
PHYSIOTHERAPY APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE
We now have a Physiotherapist, Emma Cameron, who is available for appointments in the Surgery on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you are age 16+, you can book a direct appointment with the reception staff to see Emma instead of making a GP appointment – no referral needed from your GP and you don’t need to fill out any forms either.
This service gives patients improved access to assessment for musculoskeletal symptoms affecting your joints, bones, muscles and soft tissue conditions. Emma can also provide cortisone steroid injections for shoulders, knees and hands.
Emma can provide diagnosis, self-management advice, exercises as well as onward referrals and investigations such as x rays and blood tests. She can arrange medication, if required, following assessment. At your appointment she will assess your symptoms and discuss your treatment options. She can answer any questions and help you decide how best to manage your condition.
To make an appointment, simply ask reception staff for a physio appointment.
TELEPHONES
Following a change to our 'phone system, please note that our 'phone number is now automatically withheld for all outgoing calls from the Surgery. This means that when we 'phone you, it may come up on the 'phone as "no caller ID" or "withheld", for example. If we are unable to get you on the 'phone, we will send you a letter asking you to make a 'phone appointment. Please don't 'phone the Surgery assuming that any withheld numbers are from us as we will write to you if we were trying to get in contact.
APPOINTMENT ATTENDANCE
Patients who do not arrive for their booked appointments results in an increase in waiting time for appointments and frustration for both staff and patients. If you cannot make it to your pre-booked appointment then please let us know a minimum of 4 hours before the appointment time so we can give the appointment to another patient.
Southside Road Surgery has a policy for dealing with persistent non-attendance and which could result in a patient being removed from our list and having to find another doctor. Due to the amount of lost appointments, we will now start writing to patients once they have failed to attend pre-booked appointments on 2 occasions. Full details of our policy can be found here: DNA POLICY
MOBILE 'PHONES IN THE SURGERY
You don't need to switch off your mobile 'phone in the waiting room, but please be courteous to other patients and maybe keep it on silent. We do ask that you don't answer your 'phone or reply to texts etc during your appointment (yes, this happens!) and that you refrain from doing this until you leave the consultation room.
PRIVACY STATEMENT
Please see our updated Privacy Statement following the General Data Protection Regulation act that has come into force from 25 May 2018. Privacy Statement
CERVICAL SCREENING
Cervical Screening is routinely offered every 3 years to eligible individuals (that is, anyone with a cervix, including women, trans men and/or nonbinary people) between 25 and 49 years of age and every 5 years to eligible individuals between 50 and 64 years of age plus 364 days.
Individuals on non-routine screening (where screening results have shown changes that require further investigation/follow-up) will be invited up to 70 years of age.
Individuals under the age of 25 who had already been invited for a test before the age range change on the 6 June 2016 will continue to be invited for screening regardless of
whether the recall date is before or after the individual reaches 25 years and regardless of whether the individual attended for screening or not.
Screening tests will not be taken for individuals who have only registered in Scotland for the first time from 6 June 2016 and are under the age of 25.
URINE INFECTIONS
Did you know that your local pharmacy may be able to prescribe antibiotics for your urine infection without you having to see your GP/Practice Nurse?
If you are a non pregnant female aged between 16-65, and you think you may have a urine infection, depending on the criteria you may be able to get antibiotics from your pharmacist.
Click Here for more information.
(Site updated 20/05/2021)