Clinics & Services

The following clinics are run and appointments can be made in the usual way:

Ante-Natal/Post-Natal Clinics

There is a midwife clinic on a Wednesday morning.  We operate a shared-care system with the Consultants at Forth Valley Royal Hospital which gives pregnant women the convenience of receiving most of their ante-natal care  at home or in the Surgery, with only occasional visits to the hospital for scans etc.

Child Health

We have a programme which covers all the necessary checks and immunisations from the ages of six weeks to five years.  All children registered for this programme receive mailed appointments when a check or immunisation is due.  To register your child, please enquire at reception. 

See the Family Health under Further Information for the current recommended childhood vaccination schedule.

Well-Woman and Well-Man

Appointments can be arranged with the Practice Nurses on request for Well-Man and Well Woman checks.  These clinics offer a health "MOT" check. They may involve answering a questionnaire, carrying out some simple checks to look for signs of preventable or treatable disease (for women this includes a cervical smear when necessary) and appropriate health advice. 

Diabetic Clinic

This clinic is run by the Practice Pharmacist on Friday  mornings.

Respiratory/Asthma Clinic

This clinic is run by the Practice Nurse.

Contraception Services

Any of the Doctors will be happy to discuss all aspects of contraception during a regular surgery appointment.  Dr Reid is available for the fitting of coils, implants and caps.

Smoking Cessation

As a smoker, patients are at increased risk of several diseases including lung cancer, heart disease, chronic lung disease, etc.   If patients are interested in stopping smoking, a specialised service is provided at the Woodside Pharmacy for a one-to-one consultation.  Please contact the Pharmacy for an appointment at which a patient's motivation to stop smoking will be assessed.  Patients will be given helpful information to maximise their chance of stopping smoking and will be invited for useful follow-up visits to monitor their progress and give further prescriptions.  We would encourage patients to carefully consider stopping smoking and make an appointment when the time is right for them.

Interpreter Service

The Practice can arrange for an interpreter to be present during a consultation if the patient requests this.  This appointment must be booked in advance, and a double appointment would be required.

Primary Care Pharmacists

Primary Care Pharmacists work in the local community supporting GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

They are responsible for dealing with:

1. Acute prescription requests.
2. Queries about your regular medicines.
3. Organising changes to your medication if you have been in hospital or seen at an out patient department.
4. Monitoring repeat prescriptions.

In the future you may be able to have a face to face review about your medications.

Phlebotomy Facility

We have a phlebotomist service on a Thursday for our patients.  

A phlebotomist is a person trained to take blood samples from a patient for clinical investigations and monitoring. 

Test Results

All specimens to go to the Hospital Laboratory must be handed in by 1.00pm for the morning collection and before 5.00pm for the afternoon collection. 

Please telephone after 1.30pm and inform the receptionist if you are calling for a result. 

Results can only be given out to the individual patient, unless permission is authorised.

Please note that unless a GP/Nurse has requested a sample and it is in an appropriate collection container labelled with your details we cannot accept it. Any samples that have been handed in without this will be disposed of

Community Nurses

There are Community Health Nurses attached to the Practice. The Nurses hold a Treatment Room Clinic, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and as demand requires in Doune at 9.00am - 10.00am for procedures such as wound dressing, suturing removal and injections etc.  Please contact reception at Doune to make an appointment.  The Nurses will attend to all nursing requirements of patients confined to their homes and are also closely involved with the palliative care of terminally ill patients.

The Community Health Nurses can be contacted directly at the Surgery on weekdays by telephoning the following numbers:-

• Doune Community Health Nurses - 01786 841256

Health Visitor

The Health Visitor provides family support, antenatal and post-natal care.  She can give advice on health care, especially to expectant mothers, small children. The Health Visitor can be contacted directly at the Surgery on weekdays by telephoning 01786 842451.

Podiatry

The Chiropodist runs a clinic on a Friday as appointed by the Community Chiropodist.  Appointments are by referral from the Doctors.

Physiotherapy

The Physiotherapist runs a clinic on a Tuesday afternoon from 1.30 - 5pm.  Appointments are by referral from the Doctors (no longer by self referral).

Community Pharmacist/Supplementary Prescriber

Campbell Shimmins, BSc MRPHARMS-SP is our local pharmacist who also provides a Smoking Cessation Advice Service as well as other services.  Please contact the Pharmacy for details.

Stirling Locality Pharmacist Facilitator

The Stirling Locality Pharmacist Facilitator visits the practice on a regular basis to give advice and support to the Practice on medication and prescribing issues.

NHS Minor Ailment Service At Your Community Pharmacy

The above service is for people who meet the appropriate criteria.  This means that if your pharmacist thinks you need it, they can give you a medicine for a minor illness or complaint without you having to pay for it.  It will save you making an appointment with your GP simply to get a prescription for a minor complaint.  The Pharmacy First Service is another service provided by the Pharmacy.  For further information ask at reception or at the Woodside Pharmacy. 

Sexual Health Advice including contraceptive services

Please telephone 01324 673554.  The triage nurse will make you an appointment.  If you wish a family planning appointment please call 2 days before you wish to be seen and an appointment will be arranged at your nearest location. 

There is a drop in session for under 21s from 3.30 -5.30pm on a Tuesday at Stirling Community Hospital.

Practice Staff

Practice Nurses

There are two Practice Nurses, based in Doune. Linda Keay holds clinics Monday to Wednesday mornings, and Gillian Walker who has clinics all day on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Gillian also goes to the Thornhill Clinic on a Tuesday morning. 

Their duties include ear syringing, vaccinations, cervical smears and phlebotomy (blood sampling). They share responsibility for carrying out health checks through running various clinics that include - Chronic Heart Disease, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Diabetes, Asthma & COPD, Ischaemic Heart Disease.

Practice Manager

Our Practice Manager, Mairi McGrandles, is responsible for the financial management of the Practice and is involved in the business development. Mairi is able to help with any non-medical or administrative aspects of your health or treatment and will be pleased to receive any suggestions for improving our services.

Receptionist/Administrators

The Receptionist/Administrator’s job is to take all messages on behalf of the Doctors and help in the day-to-day running of the Practice, so that the Doctors can spend as much time seeing patients as possible. They may need to ask you for further details if you telephone, this is to ensure that the Doctors can assess the urgency of your request. Please be assured that they are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the Doctors.

Non NHS Services

Certain non-NHS (private) medicals (e.g. HGV) may be arranged by special request.

WHAT TO DO IN TIMES OF BEREAVEMENT

What to do if someone dies:

It is a legal requirement for a Doctor to confirm that someone has passed away. There is no need to move the patient. If your doctor has recently seen the patient and knows their history, a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) will normally be issued. However, in the event of an unexpected death, or in unclear circumstances, the doctor may need to notify the Procurator Fiscal. Approximately 1 in 10 deaths will be randomly reviewed by the medical reviewer who may wish to clarify details and circumstances with the doctor and family before burial or cremation can take place.

If death occurs at home:

1. Telephone the Doctor or NHS 24. A Doctor will usually visit to confirm death has taken place.

1. Contact the Funeral Director to inform them that their services will be required.

1. Collect the Death Certificate from the surgery. (You will be told when this will be available for collection). This will not be possible if it is necessary to involve the Procurator Fiscal.

If death occurs in hospital:

1. Contact the Funeral Directors to inform them that their services will be required.

1. Collect the Death Certificate from the hospital.

Then.....

1. Telephone the Registrar’s Office for an appointment (for the area in which the death took place) and take the Death Certificate with you to the Registrar's Office. They will register the death and give you another Certificate.

1. Take the new Certificate to the Funeral Directors, who will take over complete responsibility for arranging the funeral.

TRAVEL ADVICE

From the 1st of April 2022 NHS Forth Valley's Immunisation team will be taking over Travel Health Service for NHS Forth Valley patients

Patients can self-refer to the service using a risk assessment eform available on the immunisation page on NHS Forth Valley services page. Link available here NHS Forth Valley – Travel Health Service.

 Patients can self-refer with at least 6 weeks notice so that immunisation(s) will be effective at time of travel. For patients that can't use the eform, patients should contact the immunisation administration team on 0800 130 3120.

Travelling Abroad

Before you go

Well before travelling abroad, check with your Travel Agent or the Tourist Office/Embassy of the country you intend to visit on any special precautions you may need to take. At least two months before departure. Pack a small first aid kit containing adhesive dressings, insect repellent, antiseptic cream and water purification tablets etc…..ask at your pharmacist.

When Abroad

Check on the quality of the drinking water. If in doubt drink only bottled water, or use water purification tablets. Avoid ice in drinks, as this may well have been made from suspect water. Raw vegetables, salads and fresh fruits should be carefully washed in clean water. If in doubt, stick to freshly cooked food. Beware of the sun! Use a high factor sunscreen, particularly in the first few days of exposure. Children in particular should be closely monitored in this respect.

In hot climates, drink plenty of non-alcoholic drinks. If you are not passing water regularly, you are not drinking enough.

On your return

If you fall ill, don't forget to tell your doctor that you have travelled abroad.

If you have received treatment, tell your own doctor on return.

When donating blood, tell the Transfusion Staff which countries you have visited.

HEALTH ADVICE

We encourage all our patients to share the responsibility for their health, both in preventing disease and in treating existing diseases. Prevention really is better than cure.

Many of the most serious diseases can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and without the need for drugs. Please feel free to discuss general health and your lifestyle and ask for advice.

HEALTH WALKS

Interested in finding a fun and easy way to get fit, lose weight and meet new friends? If yes, come along and take part in one of Active Stirling walks. To help promote a healthier lifestyle, log on to the Active Stirling website http://www.activestirling.org.uk/Walk-About-Stirling/

Remember.......You probably won't need us at all if...

• You keep active,

• You watch your weight,

• You don't smoke,

• You only drink in moderation and

• You don't worry too much.