Telephone: 0131 441 4555

News

CONTINUED REQUIREMENT FOR FACEMASKS TO ENTER COLINTON SURGERY (28/4/22)

Despite the cessation of mandatory face masks in public areas face masks are still required to attend healthcare buildings. This is because we are visited by many patients for whom covid 19 can still have a significant impact due to their clinical conditions. For the same reason there will continue to be social distancing in the waiting room until further notice.

WE ARE NO LONGER UNDERTAKING TRAVEL VACCINATIONS (1/4/22)

As part of a redesign of General Practice to deal with the unprecedented current demand, all GP practices have now ceased undertaking travel vaccinations and associated travel services. If you require travel vaccinations I suggested that you contact the specialist NHS Lothian travel service, for information click Here.

PLEASE ARRANGE YOUR GP TELEPHONE APPOINTMENT FOR A DAY IN WHICH YOU CAN COME INTO THE SURGERY IF REQUIRED.

All GP consultations start with a telephone consultation. If the GP feels that a Face to Face appointment is required to deal with the issue they will invite you in on the same day as your telephone appointment. So please arrange your appointment for a day in which you are able to come in to the surgery, unless you are certain that only a phone call is required. Thank you.

COVID VACCINE CERTIFICATE MEDICAL EXEMPTION CERTIFICATES (28/10/21)

GPs and their teams cannot issue vaccination exemption certificates. Further information on the vaccination exemption certificates scheme, including information on safe

vaccination and routes to obtain an exemption can be found on the Scottish Government and NHS Inform websites. Alternatively you can phone the free NHS Covid

helpline on: 0808 196 8565

What about COVID vaccines?

A COVID booster dose will be offered to:

those living in residential care homes for older adults
frontline health and social care workers
all adults aged 50 years or over
adults aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health
conditions that put them at higher risk of severe coronavirus
adult carers (aged 16 or over)
household contacts (aged 16 or over) of immunosuppressed individuals.

If you are eligible, you will either be sent an appointment letter, or be invited to make an appointment using an online portal. The booster dose can be offered any time at least 6 months after your second dose. This means that you may get your COVID booster at the same time as your flu vaccine, but this is not guaranteed.

Consideration for our staff (31/8/21)

Our staff are working tirelessly to met an incredibly high demand and we are still required to take precautions to protect our vulnerable patients against coronavirus. Please be considerate and abuse will not be tolerated. Thank you.

Reductions in Covid-19 restrictions, but not in healthcare settings (updated 31/8/21)

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the removal of covid-19 restrictions in 'most areas' from 9/8/21. However, In healthcare settings there are still special concerns relating to the significant number of very ill and immuno compromised patients who visit the surgery and other particular issues. There has not yet been any reduction in the 2m distancing rule or other covid-19 restrictions in healthcare settings.

We do listen to feedback and concerns over our current appointments system. We will be making adjustments to our system in the future to adjust to the changing situation, however these need careful consideration to make sure we get it right, as we must protect the most vulnerable in our community. We cannot yet return to full face to face appointments with our GPs whilst we have to keep numbers of patients in our waiting room low - we don't feel it is yet appropriate to have the waiting room as full as it was pre covid at this stage). This will require a reduction in healthcare covid 19 precautions. Please bear with us whilst we plan this carefully. Thank you.

LAUNCH OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE STATUS SCHEME (28/5/21)

This new service to allow patients travelling abroad to access their record of Covid-19 vaccination status themselves, by logging on to NHS Inform.scot/covid19status. This allows you to view your Covid-19 vaccination status.

For those patients without website access a letter of your Covid-19 vaccine status can be requested in the post via a Freephone Covid Status Helpline. 0808 196 8565.

Note: If you lose or forgot your username or password, you can create a new one by selecting 'forgot username' or 'forgot password' options.

If you are intending to travel abroad you should:

check the entry requirements for your destination country on the UK foreign travel advice pages
get up-to-date information from the website of your destination country
check the re-entry requirements for your return to Scotland
only request a vaccination record if it is absolutely required and you are due to travel in the next 21 days

SURGERY CLOSED FOR STAFF TRAINING 1245 - 1315

We now close our doors and do not accept routine phone calls 1245 - 1315 every Tuesday to allow time for staff training. If you have an emergency select option 1, otherwise please phone back after 1315. We apologise for any inconvenience, but this is the only time the practice now has to work together uninterrupted to train and update our processes. Thank you for your understanding.

DO NOT ATTEND THE PRACTICE IF YOU ARE SUFFERING SYMPTOMS CONSISTENT WITH COVID-19

For CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION click here

For VIDEO CONSULTATION click here

For FLU VACCINATIONS click here

WEAR FACE COVERINGS IF ATTENDING THE PRACTICE.

It is very strongly recommended that a mask is worn when entering the surgery for your appointment. Thank you.

NEW NHS EAR IRRIGATION SERVICE (from 30/11/20)

Colinton Surgery suspended its' Ear Irrigation Service throughout the covid pandemic due to the close contact covid risk of this procedure and a 50 % reduction in nurse capacity due to infection control and social distancing constraints. We will not be resuming the service here, but the NHS Community Treatment and Assessment Centre (CTAC) at Sighthill has just announced that it now has the capacity to resume this service.

Patients can now self refer for this service by either phoning the CTAC administration line on 0131-537-7205 or emailing CTAC.Allermuir@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk. In both cases you will need to state your Name, DOB, Address and that you are registered at Colinton Surgery. You will then receive an appointment by post. There may be a significant waiting list at the CTAC, but treatment with oil for 2 weeks is still recommended as the initial non intervention treatment and this should alleviate the symptoms. There remains the option to obtain ear irrigation treatment privately.

Text messaging service.

Using text messages to contact you is increasingly important and useful to the way in which we are now working. If you haven't yet signed up to our text messaging service, please see the section on our website (on the right hand side of this text) and apply. You will be asked for your permission for text messages during most phone calls to the surgery.

Our selected charity for 2020 is the Ripple Retreat which is a locally run charity which supports a respite in Stirlingshire for the families of teenage cancer patients. Details are at www.Itsgood2give.co.uk

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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE FOLLOW OUR LATEST NEWS LINK

Welcome to Colinton Surgery

The practice provides healthcare to approximately 11,700 patients.

Making an appointment with a GP

We are now offering face to face appointments with a GP as well as telephone appointments, so if you feel that you wish to see the GP let the receptionist know. If you require a consultation with a GP this will begin with the receptionist taking your details, a brief description of your problem and then the GP will call you back by 1300 for a morning appointment and by 1800 for an afternoon appointment. If the GP feels that a Face to Face appointment is required to deal with the issue they will invite you in on same day as your phone appointment. So please arrange your appointment for a day in which you are able to come in to the surgery, unless you are certain that only a phone call is required.

Sometimes the receptionist may recognise that your problem may be better dealt with by a clinician other than a GP and should this be the case they will signpost you accordingly. Face to face appointments continue to be offered by the clinician if felt to be necessary but only after a consultation on the telephone.

Appointments for the GP are now either on the day or can be booked for a future date, subject to availability. Please therefore phone early to ensure you receive an appointment.

To ensure care can be provided to those most in need as efficiently as possible, before booking an appointment please always consider whether your problem could be managed in a different way. NHS inform contains a wealth of information about managing common medical conditions.

Our local pharmacies provide a minor ailments service which deals with many common conditions.

Please note that ALL eye problems should be directed to an optician and not a GP.

Similarly ALL dental problems should be directed to the dentist and not a GP.

Due to increasing demand at the practice if you require clinical advice please contact the practice as early in the day as possible. Any calls that are not medically urgent, received after 16.45 will be advised to call back the following working day. Similarly once all the ‘on the day’ appointments have been taken any calls that are not medically urgent will be advised to call back the following working day.

Text messaging service

Using text messages to contact you is increasingly important to the way in which we are now working. We would very much appreciate if you would consider signing up for this service. Further information is available here.

December.

Sending images to the practice

If you have arranged a telephone consultation with the Practice to discuss a rash, wound or the symptom is visible it can be very helpful to the clinician to see a photograph of the problem. For further details please click here.

opening hours

how to register

Charity for 2022.

We have selected itsgood2give.co.uk as our Charity for 2022. It is a local charity which has been very active throughout the pandemic. If you feel it is appropriate please use the donate function on their website.

Access

There are two parking spaces reserved for disabled people and the surgery consulting rooms are all on one level. Off street parking is available for patients on surgery grounds.

History

Colinton Surgery was first established by Dr Heriott, practising from 24 Dreghorn Loan in the early 1900’s and moved to the current premises in 1986 (extended 1997).

Opening Times

When We Are Closed

If you need to see or seek advice from the doctor outside normal surgery hours, please contact NHS 24 on 111.

Please note that phone calls to NHS 24 are recorded for security purposes.

About NHS 24

NHS 24 is a new telephone advice and information service, designed to meet your needs whatever time of day or night.

Telephone 111

or visit

NHS 24 online

Out of Hours Complaints

If you have a complaint about the service provided by NHS 24 please contact:

Patient/Customer Relations Department

NHS 24,

Caledonia House

Cardonald Park

Glasgow

G51 4EB

Tel: 0141 337 4501 (09:00 – 17:00 Mon – Fri)

Out-of-hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.