Newsletter—August 2021

Practice  Appointment System

We are still offering the range of appointments we did pre-Covid –  this includes face to face, telephone and video consultations. Our clinical team has expanded over the years and appointments are available with advanced nurse practitioners, practice nurses, physiotherapists pharmacists, mental health pracititioners and community links workers.   To help us to book the right appointment with the right person reception and admin staff will ask for information about your condition and symptoms.

Receptionists are the practice first point of contact and without them the practice would not function.

During peak times they answer an average of 450 calls a day. In addition they receive and process up to 300 prescription requests daily.  They also carry out a wide range of admin duties to keep patient’s medical records up to date and our recall system and patient registers accurate. We have recently recruited two new receptionists Shelley and Lindsay and a Kickstart Scheme trainee called Jasmine.

“Please thank all the receptionists they have been stars! They have been brilliant at listening and helping me.”  

– AC (a happy patient)

Weigh to Go – Weight Loss Programme

The practice are delighted at the success of the Weigh to Go – Healthy Weight Programme which we continue to support. If you are interested in being referred to the Programme or simply want to know more about the programme please speak to one our practice nurses.

Patient Success Story

Derek lost a total of 28kg (4 stone 6lbs) since starting the Weigh To Go programme.  What an achievement.

Acknowledgements and thanks to our cleaners Hazel and Julie for adapting to the Covid cleaning regime and taking on the extra work.  To patients and colleagues for maintaining social distancing in the practice.   

Acknowledgements and thanks

To our cleaners Hazel and Julie for adapting to the Covid cleaning regime and taking on the extra work.  To patients and colleagues for maintaining social distancing in the practice.   

We know it has been hard for all of us but the practice is open and here to help.

 GP Trainees—leavers, starters and returners

Dr Eoin Colgan’s  GP training placement finishes in September.  We have enjoyed working with him and wish him well in his career.

Dr Zoe Ballantine recently moved to Ayrshire and we are delighted that she choose to complete her GP training with us.  Dr Ballantine will be with us until November 2021.

Dr Pritha Shiva Kumar has returned to the practice to complete his GP training.  He will be with us until Autumn 2022.

Dr Nick Hill and Dr Imogen Sherry have just joined the practice as GP trainees and they will be with us for 6 and 4 months respectively.

Practice Nurse – Returner

We are pleased to welcome Sarah Fitzpatrick back to the Fullarton Practice and are looking forward to working with her again.

Our practice nurses continue to offer a variety of nursing services e.g. blood tests, dressings, injections, smears, implanon insertion and removals.  They have also been completing annual reviews for patients with longterm conditions. If you are due an annual review the nurse may contact you initially by telephone to allow them to take a clinical history.  Some patients may only need to answer a telephone questionnaire while others may be asked to come into the surgery for further tests and examination.

New Community Links Practitioner

Stephen McCormack our new Community Links Practiioner will start in September.

Community Links Practitioners can help you work through a range of health and wellbeing issues from stress and anxiety to employment and money worries.  You can self-refer or ask a member of the practice team to refer you.