Appointments

We are introducing an online appointments system.  You will be able to book/cancel appointments on line via this website https://myvisiononline.co.uk/vpp/login.jsp    

You need to register for this system by coming into the surgery, completing a form and providing proof of ID and address

Call the surgery to book a smear appointment with a Practice Nurse or if you need an interpreter. Please do not book via the online appointment service

Routine appointments can be booked with GPs, nurses and healthcare assistant, Monday - Friday throughout the day by telephoning on 0131 554 6471 or in person at reception.

For patients registered with the practice - if you feel you cannot wait for a routine appointment please tell the receptionist.  We run an open emergency surgery each morning from 8.50am to 9.20am and always have a duty doctor available from 08:00 – 18:00 for urgent advice.

Our routine appointments are 10 minutes.  When you book an appointment with the nurse you will be asked the reason because the nurses keep longer appointments for certain conditions, investigations and treatments.

Open/Emergency Surgery -  only for patients who are already registered with the practice

The open surgery runs every morning Monday to Friday between 08:50 – 09:20.  This is to allow you access to a doctor without a routine appointment to deal with any urgent or immediate problems.   You may then be asked to make a further appointment if required.

Emergencies

In an emergency please phone 999 (24 hrs).

Urgent Problems

For urgent matters outwith open surgery time, patients contacting reception will have their details passed to the duty doctor to be prioritised and dealt with in turn.   Between 18:00 until 08:00 please contact NHS24 on 111.

Sick Children

We will try to assess any young child who becomes suddenly unwell on the same day.  Where possible, try to use the open/emergency surgery.  Outwith this time, please contact the surgery to obtain advice from the duty doctor.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:30. A doctor will call you back.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

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.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).

Registrars

Our practice is approved for training registrar doctors who have chosen a career in general practice.  GP registrars are fully qualified doctors who have a great deal of hospital experience and wish to become a GP. They gain valuable experience by working with us for up to a year and share all aspects of medical care with the GP partners.  Please accept their services as an extension of our own.

Sometimes as part of the registrars training, patients are requested to allow their consultation to be videotaped, these recordings are for educational purposes only.  Your permission will always be requested beforehand, if you do not wish your consultation to be recorded just say so; your care will not be affected in any way.

Students

We train medical students and nursing students from Edinburgh University.  We hope that you will co-operate with us and help the students to learn about general practice. You will be informed of their presence in advance, and if you do not want them to be present at a consultation, your wishes will be respected; your care will not be affected in any way.