All consultations are by appointment
Mental Health Services – Mental Health Practitioner (MHP)
The MHP is a Mental health professional who works within the practice offering assessment and provides guidance for adults who are experiencing mental health difficulties.
The service is available to anyone aged 16 years and older with a mental health concern and not currently receiving treatment from NHS Mental Health Services.
Antenatal Services – Midwife: consults on Tuesdays and Fridays
The pre-booking appointment is for 45 minutes and is the first appointment with the Midwife, who confirms pregnancy, arranges the Patient’s Care Plan, issues FW8 and Ready Steady Baby! Book and refers to the Consultant. The Midwife takes a blood sample and advises on issues such as breastfeeding, benefits, parentcraft, healthy eating, alcohol and drugs.
Ongoing antenatal review appointments with the Midwife are for 15 minutes.
The Midwife issues the MAT B1 Certificate confirming pregnancy from 20 weeks gestation.
Family Planning – during normal surgeries
Routine = 10-minute appointment, including IUCD (coil) removal. IUCD fitting = 30-minute appointment.
Appointments are with Dr. Ann Hamilton. If our appointments are fully booked up, you should contact The Family Planning Clinic on 01563 545700.
The range of family planning services offered by the Practice is comprehensive and includes Nexplanon fit/removal.
All Doctors and Nurses provide pre-conceptual advice.
Emergency Contraception
Emergency Pills: Consult your Pharmacist or phone us to be assessed by the Clinical Triage Team for emergency pills, which can be used up to 72 or 120 hours but are most effective if used within 24 hours, so ask for an Emergency Appointment if you require to be seen that day. We do not issue a prescription for emergency pills unless you are seen first by the Clinical Triage Team.
The Coil: The coil can be used up to 5 days and a limited number of appointments is available with Dr. Hamilton – please let the Receptionist know that you require an emergency appointment to discuss this. If our appointments are fully booked up, you should contact The Family Planning Clinic on 01563 545700.
Your request will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Smoking Cessation Service
Patients may self-refer to Fresh-Ayrshire by phoning Freephone 0800 783 9132, Monday-Friday, 9.00-5.00.
Child Health Surveillance & Immunisations – Weekly: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Visit: Immunisation Scotland
We strongly advise parents/guardians to bring babies and children along for their checks and immunisations. If they do not wish to do so, for any reason, they will be invited to discuss this with the child’s registered doctor and may be asked to sign a disclaimer form. They will be recalled on an annual basis to review their decision, until the child is aged 5 years and 11 months.
N.B. If the adult bringing the child to the immunisation clinic is not the parent or guardian, a letter of consent, signed by the parent or guardian must be brought to the clinic appointment.
Chronic Disease Review Appointments
Practice Nurse Team
We send texts or letters to patients on our chronic disease registers e.g. Diabetes, Coronary heart disease, Asthma, COPD etc. when their review is due. From 2010 we started a system of RUR (Rolled-Up-Recall) to make these checks more convenient for patients. We note all of your chronic conditions in the letter and offer you an appointment of the appropriate length with the appropriate Clinician, who does all of your checks at the one time.
If you feel that you need a maintenance check for any chronic disease and cannot wait until your RUR Review, please contact us and ask for a maintenance appointment. We will still call you in when your review falls due.
It is essential that patients attend the review appointment to have their condition monitored and controlled. Patients will be sent 3 texts and/or 1 recall letter annually and excluded from recall for 1 year if there is no response. Patients with Hypothyroidism and Epilepsy will be invited once, if they have not already been checked that year. These checks are designed to monitor chronic conditions to ensure that patients receive optimal treatment and patients are strongly advised to attend, in the interests of their health.
N.B. Digital Retinopathy annual eye checks with local Optometrists are arranged by the Digital Retinopathy Screening Service based at Ayrshire Central Hospital 01294 323470.
For patients who attend Hospital Diabetes Clinics, we offer a phlebotomy service – contact us at least 1 week prior to hospital appt for an appointment with our Healthcare Assistant.
Dietetic Clinic
Alternate Wednesdays, 15/45 minute appointments
Diabetic Referrals/General Nutrition/Self Referrals.
Anticoagulant Clinic
5-minute appointment with Healthcare Assistant/Practice Nurse for venepuncture, followed next day by a telephoned result
Tuesday Mornings for venepuncture
Wednesday 11.00-12.30 for telephoned results
Patients attend our clinic for this Enhanced Service only after signing the service agreements and the transfer of their care from hospital services has been completed by the our IT Department. If patients fail to attend appointments or to be available at the designated time for telephoned results, responsibility for their care will be transferred back to hospital services. We are unable to offer this service to housebound patients.
Minor Surgery Clinic
These clinics are arranged as required and the Doctor is assisted by one of the Practice Nurses. Various procedures are carried out, including removal of sebaceous cysts, papilloma, some moles, skin lesions and skin tags. You will be asked to sign a consent form and, if applicable, the Practice Nurse will notify you in writing of any follow-up action required.
Influenza/Pneumococcal Immunisation Clinic
Influenza and pneumococcal immunisations are very important preventative measures for certain groups. Clinics with Practice Nurses and District Nurses run from September (or as soon as the vaccine becomes available) to November each year, for the target groups. District Nurses also immunise patients who are truly housebound. All patients with chronic diseases e.g. chronic respiratory disease, chronic renal disease, chronic heart disease, diabetes, immunosuppression, neurological disease, chronic liver disease, Carers and those aged 65 years and over and those in the childhood cohort, should contact us for an appointment at the flu clinic or to arrange a home visit for the housebound.
Cytologies (smear tests) 10-minute appointment with Practice Nurse
This is a very important test for cancer of the neck of the womb and it is recommended on a regular basis for all women aged 25 to 65 years. Letters to patients for recall/reminder/results are sent by the SCCRS national system (Scottish Cervical Cytology Recall Service). If, for any reason, the patient does not respond to invitation letters and has not informed us that the test has been done elsewhere, they may be asked to make an appointment with their registered Doctor to discuss the matter and sign a disclaimer. Letters containing results of cervical smears are sent to women directly from SCCRS but we advise all women to contact the Practice to check their results.
Practice Nurses
Nurses are involved in a wide range of clinics and services, including chronic disease reviews, minor surgery, immunisations, cryotherapy, health promotion and family planning, as well as the usual nursing duties in a busy Practice, such as dressings, ear syringing, phlebotomy, vaccinations, cytologies (smear tests), smoking cessation advice and dealing with minor lacerations. Sister Reay has a special interest in Carers and Adults with Learning Disabilities and liaises with the AwLD Team in East Ayrshire.
Healthcare Assistant
The Healthcare Assistant consults daily for venepuncture, BP tests, height and weight, ECGs, spirometry, H. Pylori breath tests and some chronic disease reviews. She deals with blood samples and results for anticoagulant clinics.
District Nurses
District Nurses consult in the Practice daily apart from Tuesdays, by appointment, from 2.00-3.00pm, providing a wide range of services including wound management/suture/clip removal, injections, venepuncture, ear syringing, continence assessments, and BP checks etc. They also provide a wide range of services for housebound patients including palliative care, complex wound management, continence care, administration of treatment/medication,complex assessment of health needs/promotion and immunisations.
Health Visitors
Health Visitors give support and advice for all new babies and families up to school age and offer Childhood Immunisation and Child Health Surveillance Clinics. They are involved with breast-feeding support, child protection, special needs and can refer to Social Work for advice on income benefits. They also provide regular input to local nurseries and drop-in clinics in the area for health advice.