Book an Appointment

• Requests for appointments and housecalls (for housebound only) must be made before 12.00
• Appointments are telephone consultations. If deemed beneficial by clinical staff, then a face to face or video consultation may take place.
• When all our appointments for the day are taken you will hear a message informing you of this. If you have an urgent medical problem that occurs after this message has been activated you will be added to the Duty Doctor’s list for that day. If you do not receive a call back the same day please call the following morning to request an appointment. Only call if you have a medically urgent problem which develops in the afternoon. If it is an emergency phone 999.
• Please note we have a phone queuing system. Please stay in the queue if possible – it will be quicker that calling back and going to the back of the queue.
• If calling for any other reason, e.g. results, fit notes, please call in the afternoon to free the lines in the morning for those requesting appointments. 
• Non urgent appointments can be booked in advance, though numbers are limited. 
• Please consider if your problem can be dealt with without a GP appointment .

Please refer to our Practice Statement for further information

The receptionists are members of the practice team and it has been agreed by the doctors that they should ask patients why they need to be seen. This ensures that you are directed to the most appropriate medical care.

The receptionist will ask you for brief information and may direct you to see an Advanced Nurse Practitioner or other health professional if appropriate.

Reception staff, like all members of our team, are bound by confidentiality rules. You can ask to speak to a receptionist away from reception.

If you feel an issue is very private and do not wish to say what it is then this will be respected.

Allowing the receptionist to direct you the most appropriate person will help in making GP appointments more readily available when you need them.

We thank you for your support in this.

The Doctor will try to take you in to your appointment on time. Sometimes due to emergencies or other factors the Doctor may run late.

There is not enough time for the Doctor to deal effectively with several problems during one appointment.

If you wish to speak to the Doctor regarding more than one problem then it would be helpful to ask the Receptionist to arrange a double appointment for you.

There is help and advice on NHS Lanarkshire’s website including Meet the experts which offers a range of services that local healthcare professionals across Lanarkshire can provide. You can go directly to the right healthcare professional for the help you need when you need it, without having to see your GP first or face a lengthy wait in accident and emergency.

There are many situations where you may not require a face to face appointment with the doctor.  Please consider the information below:

Self-care @ NHSinform.scot

Check out information about many common medical ailments with up to date information on how to best manage these at NHS Inform 

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Pharmacy

For common ailments your community pharmacist can give you advice and can give you medicine on the Pharmacy First scheme without you having to pay for it.  

You can receive advice and free treatment from the pharmacy  for complaints such as acne, athlete’s foot, backache, cold sores, constipation, cough, diarrhoea, earache, eczema, allergies, piles, hayfever, head lice, indigestion, mouth ulcers, nasal congestion, pain, period pain, thrush, sore throats, threadworms, warts and verrucae, impetigo, urine infection.

• Boots Halfway 641 3806
• Boots Main St 641 2698,
• Dicksons 641 3892 or 641 4667
• Burns 634 2750
• Lloyds 646 2970
• Dukes Rd 647 6203

Did you know you can recycle your inhalers at Boots Pharmacy in Hamilton Road, Halfway?  Please hand in used inhalers and the pharmacy will arrange recycling.

There is help and advice on NHS Lanarkshire’s website including Meet the experts which offers a range of services that local healthcare professionals across Lanarkshire can provide. You can go directly to the right healthcare professional for the help you need when you need it, without having to see your GP first or face a lengthy wait in accident and emergency.

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Minor Injuries

For minor injuries such as cuts, sprains, strains, minor burns, bites (over 5 years of age) you can attend the Minor Injuries Unit;

• from 9am to 9pm at the New Victoria, Grange Rd, G42 9LF, 0141 201 6000 
• Hairmyres Hospital, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, G75 8RG 01355 585000 (Hairmyres via A&E Reception).

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Dental Problem

If you have a dental problem please contact your dentist.  If your dentist is closed you can contact Out of Hours Dental Service on 0800224488.

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Optometrist

An optometrist is the best person to assess urgent eye problems, check for eye disorders and treat eye conditions.  They have the professional training and necessary equipment to assess most eye problems.

For information on LENS (Lanarkshire Eye Network Services) 0300 3030 243

or call;

• Alexander Opticians 641 0429
• Allan Todd 647 6502
• Connelly Opticians 01698 824777
• David Cassidy Opticians 647 5178
• Optical Express 613 3968 (over 5’s only)
• Pinder Opticians 647 6655
• Specsavers 0800 085 6090

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Physiotherapy Self-referral for Joint, Muscle or Back Pain

• You can phone 0800 917 9390 or https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/services/physiotherapy-msk/ for joint, muscle or back problems to be given advice or be referred to the physiotherapist without attending your GP.
• visit www.nhsinform.scot/msk – which has lots of helpful videos and guides to self care exercise for many common muscle and joint conditions.

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Foot Problems

You can self refer to ACRT Access Hub on 01698 753753

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Treatment Room

Offered at either Rutherglen Health Centre or Cambuslang Gate. 

When you have been asked by the practice to have blood sampling you can collect your form and labels from the practice.

Call 01698 754200 or 01698 745210 to make an appointment. 

You can also email [email protected] – including your name, date of birth, telephone number, GP practice name and preferred location of appointment.

For anything other than bloods you must arrange an appointment. For example suture removal or wound care.

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Sexual Health

For sexual health and contraception advice call 0300 303 0251. Emergency contraception is available at most community pharmacies.

Condoms can be collected at the practice.

Due to the present situation with regards to the pandemic the C card scheme have put in place a temporary Condoms by Post service. If you would like to receive a variety pack of condoms please call the number and these will be posted discreetly to your home address. Please call 07583 064622.

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Smoking

Pharmacists can offer advice on stopping smoking or you can refer yourself for smoking cessation 01355 585502.

NHS Inform Stop Smoking

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Mental health and Stress control

For advice and counselling about the management of stress call 08458725132

Also consider the following resources as self referral;

• Living Life to the Full
• Lanarkshire Mind Matters
• Daylight and Sleepio course through Lanarkshire Mind Matters

Child and adolescent mental health resources

• https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/services/camhs/

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Alcohol and Drug services

For advice and ongoing support with issues concerns drug and alcohol misuse, you can self refer to:

• Community Addiction Recovery Service (CAReS) – 0141 584 2515

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Money Matters

For advice about financial problems call 0303 123 1008

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Post COVID-19 Syndrome / Long COVID symptoms

The following are useful sources of information and support for patient with ongoing symptoms;

• Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland Charity
• Nuffield Health

We are generally very happy for patients to bring with them a carer, relative or even a friend. This often helps, particularly when they know you well and it allows them to tell us any observations they would make about you, which can help us in undertaking our assessment. Ultimately this will lead us more quickly to make an accurate diagnosis and therefore help you more.

Also, having someone with you means they can prompt you to ask questions that you may have forgotten, and after the appointment they can help in reminding you what was discussed.

Occasionally we might ask for them to leave but this would be unusual.

If you require interpretation services please contact us in advance of you appointment and we will arrange this.

The practice participate in extended opening hours on a Wednesday evening between 5:30 pm and 7.00 pm for patients who cannot attend during routine opening hours. These appointments require to be pre-booked as the practice telephone line closes at 6.00pm.

You have the right to accept or refuse treatment that is offered to you, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless you have given valid consent. If you do not have the capacity to do so, consent must be obtained from a person legally able to act on your behalf, or the treatment must be in your best interests.

Your valid consent (agreement to the course of action) is needed for the treatment that’s offered to you before any physical examinations or treatment can be given. If you haven’t given your consent, you can accept or refuse treatment that’s offered to you.

It’s important to be involved in decisions about your treatment and to be given information to help you choose the right treatment. When making treatment choices, you’ll often discuss the options with your doctor or another healthcare professional.

Please inform reception if you suspect an infectious disease, as this will enable us to deal with it appropriately during your visit to protect you, other patients and staff. 

This service has been temporarily suspended.

When you arrive for your appointment you can check yourself in in the waiting room.  There is a monitor located on the wall and when you have checked in the screen will indicate your waiting time.

If you have any difficulty using this please let reception know.

Our Text Reminder service is temporarily suspended.

Patients who have provided us with their mobile number will receive a text to confirm their pre-booked appointment and a text to remind them of the appointment.