Noticeboard

EASTER CLOSURES

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRACTICE WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY 29TH MARCH AND MONDAY 1ST APRIL.  IF YOU REQUIRE URGENT ASSISTANCE OVER THIS PERIOD PLEASE CONTACT 111.  PLEASE SEE NEXT NOTICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OF WHERE YOU CAN OBTAIN CARE.

Who Should I See?

Helping you Find the Right Care

Who should I  See?

Signpost1The Green Practice greatly appreciates you taking some time to check who is the best person to contact with your health concern.   The NHS in Scotland is investing considerably in many different and highly skilled health professionals to advise and treat you, often quicker and easier than your GP can. This gives faster access to the GP for you when you have more complex problems. Much like you already contact a dentist with a tooth, gum or mouth problem, you should also contact an optician for eye problems and a pharmacist if you need advice and treatment for your cold or flu, sunburn or hayfever as well as many other minor ailments. Pharmacists have expanded their service to prescribe antibiotics for women with most urine or bladder infections as well as cases of impetigo skin infection.

Similarly when you contact the practice our staff are trained to help you get the best out of our services including directing you to the best person and appointment for your concern.

Where do I start looking?

It is a fact that 9 out of 10 health problems in the UK are managed by self help. It is even easier now to access quality safe and reliable information using NHS Inform, Scotland’s own National Health Information Service  either online at www.nhsinform.scot  or by calling them 0800 22 44 88.

Their aim is to provide the people in Scotland with accurate and relevant information to help them make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for.

They provide information about: illnesses, injuries and conditions, tests and treatments, healthy living topics - such as smoking, alcohol, food and nutrition and mental wellbeing. They also have a number of interactive tools such as Self-help guides for common illnesses and injuries

The Health Board Web Site has these pages for you https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/your-health/know-who-to-turn-to/

Please also look at the pages on this website with information on services locally to help you that you just make the referral yourself. There are hundreds of  options covering Mental HealthPhysical Health, Money, WelfareHousing and Other Support

ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) is a service to help you find help and support close to you when you need it most. https://www.aliss.org/ Being a year old is not a comprehensive resource for Clydebank but worth a postcode search as it should improve with time.

Pharmacy Services

Minor Ailments Service MAS and Pharmacy First

Many people are not aware that the pharmacist can be consulted without appointment for advice and treatment. This is completely free for Children to the age of 16 and young people in education until age 18, if you are 60 or over or if you are in receipt of most of the usual benefits.

Click this link to see the long list of Pharmacy First Treatments for illnesses they can treat and medicines they can provide which includes Peptac and ranitidine for Indigestion, various drops for Infant Colic, laxatives for constipation, advice on what to do and what medicines to temporarily stop if you have diarrhoea, creams for haemorrhoids, mouth ulcers and teething, oral thrush, drops tablets and nose sprays for hay fever, advice and remedies for coughs colds and sore throats, painkillers for injuries and pain, travel sickness tablets, creams and tablets for fungal infections including vaginal thrush and athletes foot, cold sore cream, wart treatments, treatment for the whole family if you suspect a case of worms headlice or scabies. Vitamins and iron for pregnant Mums. Moisturising and steroids creams for eczema and allergy, Applications and shampoos for cradle cap and flaking scalps. For dry eyes or eye infections they can prescribe soothing and antibiotic drops, and the can supply you with drops to remove ear wax, and dressings for cuts and scrapes.

Pharmacy First services are free to anyone registered with a Scottish GP. If you are a woman between 16 and 65 and suspect you have a urine infection, you can walk in to most pharmacies without an appointment and consult with the pharmacist and be prescribed antibiotics straight away. If you suspect a case of impetigo skin infection and the patient is over 2 years old you can get a prescription for antibiotic creams.

More details at this health board web page. www.nhsggc.org.uk/patients-and-visitors/know-who-to-turn-to/pharmacist/pharmacy-first/

Minor Injuries

For Adults and children aged 1 or over  with a physical injury like cuts including those that need stitches, broken bones or sprains, no need to wait in  A+E queues.  In West Dunbartonshire you can access the Minor injuries unit at The Vale of Leven Hospital 9am to 9pm 365 days of the year for x-rays, stitches, bandaging and plastering. Call NHS24 111 for appointment.

https://www.nhsggc.scot/your-health/right-care-right-place/minor-injuries-unit/

Dental Services

If you are registered with a dentist and have a dental emergency during working hours please call your dentist not GP. Out of hours emergencies call 111. If you are not registered with a dentist, call the Emergency Dental Treatment Centre EDTC on 0141 232 6323. These services is still in operation during the coronavirus crisis. 

Eye problems

Your community optometrist (optician) is now your first point of contact should you have concerns about your eyes or vision.

An optometrist is the professional who can best manage any eye problem and can arrange urgent hospital attention should that be necessary.

The hospital eye clinics no longer offer a walk-in service.

Contact your usual optician. If you do not have one, any local optician will help you with a suitable appointment or appropriate advice.

The service is paid for by the NHS so there is NO COST to you.

The optometry appointment may not need to be the same day, but urgent issues will receive urgent attention. On busy clinic days you may have to wait.

If the optician you contact cannot see you, they will either give you advice or arrange for you to be seen elsewhere.

Back Pain, Strains and aches

See information under the physical tab on physiotherapy including self referral  forms and  a couple of websites with information and videos showing what exercises to do to ease your problem.

Pregnancy

Also under the physical tab you will find information on who to call when you discover you are pregnant or who to call if you are worried about problems.

Stress, Depression and Anxiety

There are many local services available for you from making yourself appointments for counselling and CBT, bereavement support, self harming all available at the mental health pages.

Addictions

For help with a variety of addictions please check the stop smoking information on the physical page and for drug alcohol and gambling see the mental health pages.

Sick Lines/ Fit Notes

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

The latest information is at the HMRC website www.gov.uk/taking-sick-leave

It includes information on your rights and completing a self certificate if off for 7 days or less in a row. It can be filled in online at that site or downloaded here.

If you have been sick and unable to attend work for more than 7 days in a row your work may require evidence. Hospital doctors are now obliged to provide fit notes, so if you have been attending hospital for an illness, accident or operation and are likely to be off for more than 7 days ask them to provide you with a sick line for the likely duration of your illness and it can be continued longer when you attend the specialist outpatient clinic.

If you are not attending a specialist the your GP can provide a fit note. Ask at reception if you need to have an appointment or whether there is satisfactory evidence for one to be provided or extended without an appointment.

Some employees still ask patients for a "final line". This is out of date practice and The DWP official advice is " Going back to work  - You should go back to work when you feel able to and your employers agreement - this may be before your fit note runs out. You do not need to go back to your doctor before going back to work. Your Doctor cannot give you a fit note stating that you are fit for work" This information and more is contained tin this document from the DWP.Fit Note a guide for patients and employees 2015 

Hearing Aid Self-Referral

Two services are available for NHS hearing aid patients including The Hear to Help service in Clydebank or for more complicated repairs the audiology department at Gartnavel. More information under the physical tab.

Clydebank Social Work 

The team can be contacted for information on many matters  including advice about home care, residential and nursing homes, self directed support, respite and short breaks, community alarm and telecare, children at risk, adoption and fostering, applying for a Blue Badge, Adapting your home and generally assessing your needs. The website is at www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/health-social-care/ For the Old Kilpatrick Dalmuir and Clydebank areas call the

  • Adult & Older People Integrated team on 01389 811 760,
  • Mental Health Duty Social work on 0141941 4400 
  • Community hospital discharge team on 01389 828220.
  • You can report a child at risk by calling 0141 562 8800.
  • Another useful contact is Learning Disability Services 118-120 Dumbarton Road, Clydebank G81 1UG Tel: 0141 562 2333 or 0141 562 2334.
  • In case of an emergency outwith office hours Glasgow and Partners Emergency Social Work Service Tel: 0300 343 1505
 
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