Right Care Right Place
Non-urgent advice: Emergency Doctor
We have one Doctor daily who deals with emergencies.
Emergencies should be health concerns and issues that cannot wait until our next available appointment.
If you are experiencing conditions that may be deemed as life threatening then you should dial 999.
The emergency Doctor will prioritise their day based on the description of the symptoms that you have provided to our Patient Care Team.
The emergency Doctor will call you to gain further insight and decide on the next steps to be taken. We cannot provide a time of the day that you will be called. You MUST be available for this call.
The emergency Doctor then may need to further assess you and they will invite you down to the practice. This may be at any time during the working day. Again you MUST accept the time that is offered unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Right Care Right Place
With our growing population we need your help to provide as effective care as possible for our 12,900+ patients.
If you have a minor ailment then please visit a local pharmacy. They can assist and provide medication for free under the ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme in some instances.
If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or low - find out how you can improve your mental wellbeing at NHS Inform Mind-to-Mind. For urgent help and advice about your mental health and wellbeing: Call NHS 24 on 111, 24/7, 365 days a year. Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 - Mon – Thur 6pm to 2am; Fri 6pm – Mon 6am. For more information on mental health and wellbeing information in Edinburgh please visit the iThrive website iThrive Edinburgh.
If you have a dental concern then please contact your Dental Surgery. If you are not registered with a dentist then then please ring 0131 537 8801.
If you have an issue with your eyes, then please try to contact a local Optician first. Again they have specialist equipment to examine you. Local Opticians are Optimeyes on 0131 629 4200 and KD Wallace on 0131 467 6800.
If you have an injury like a sprain, wound, burn, bump or bite then please contact Minor Injuries on 111 or Queen Margaret Hospital (Dunfermline) Minor Injuries Unit operate a daily walk-in service from 8am to 8pm (from 8pm to midnight please call 111 to book an appointment). They have the appropriate equipment to examine you and provide assistance.
By contacting these other services first and foremost, you will receive the right care in the right place and help us to manage the workload of health concerns that should be addressed by the clinicians in our practice.
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is an NHS service provided by your local community pharmacy.
If you have a minor illness, a pharmacy is the first place you should go for advice.
You do not usually need an appointment and you can go to any pharmacy.
Your local pharmacist or a trained member of the pharmacy team will give you advice and provide medicine if needed. They may need to refer you to another healthcare professional such as your GP practice, dentist, optometrist or another NHS service if they feel your condition needs further investigation or more specialist care.
Opticians
If you have an issue with your eyes, then please try to contact a local Optician first. They have specialist equipment to examine you. Local Opticians are Optimeyes on 0131 629 4200 and KD Wallace on 0131 467 6800.
Dental
If you have a dental concern then please contact your Dental Surgery. If you are not registered with a dentist then then please ring 0131 537 8801.
NHS Minor Injury Units
NHS Minor Injury Units provide an assessment and treatment service for patients with injuries within the past week. This service prefers you to have an appointment to be seen at one of their minor injury units. You book an appointment by calling NHS 24 on 111. Patients with appointments will be prioritised.
The MIU team can help adults and children over 12 months who have had any of the following conditions, if these happened within the past week:
- Arm, wrist and hand injuries
- Knee, ankle and foot injuries
- Back, shoulder and rib injuries
- Head and neck injuries in people who are fully conscious
- Cuts and wounds which may need dressing and stitches
- Minor burns and scalds​
- insect bites (ticks etc) and stings
Conditions such as colds, gynaecology issues, addictions, mental health issues, breathing problems and severe allergic reaction will not be treated. This is because our minor injury units are designed to assess injuries of a potentially painful, but non-life threatening nature.
Our minor injury units are open seven days a week every day of the year. Please note that if you arrive without arranging an appointment via 111 you may be asked to come back later.
Some minor injuries can be treated with help from a local pharmacist or via video consultation with a qualified Nurse Practitioner.
If you require further assessment or treatment you will be given a face-to-face appointment to attend a minor injury unit which could the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital or St John’s Hospital if you are aged 16 and over.
Children aged 15 and under will be asked to attend the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People or can also be scheduled an appointment at St John’s Hospital or the Western General Hospital.
