General Practitioner (GP)
Expert Medical Generalist (EMG) and senior clinical decision maker. In this role, the GP focuses on three main areas: undifferentiated presentations; complex care in the community; and whole system quality improvement and clinical leadership. They lead the Primary Care team detailed below. We will direct your care to the most appropriate team for your symptoms.
Practice Nurse (PN)
The duties of a PN include: asthma/COPD reviews, blood taking, BP monitoring, lifestyle advice, smear taking, coil checks and coil counselling, HRT advice, NHS travel advice and immunisations, ECGs, spirometry, B12 and hormone injections.
Health Care/GP Assistant (HC/GPA)
HCA duties include: blood taking, BP monitoring, assisting with minor surgery, and ECGs.
Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
The ANPs for the surgery can treat and manage a number of conditions, and patients can often be referred to the ANPs instead of a GP. If you are referred to the ANP over a GP, it is because your condition is one that the ANPs can deal with. ANPs cannot deal with regular/long term medication concerns, mental health matters or birth control. However, some ANPs can prescribe, but this will usually be for something for an acute problem you are currently suffering with.
Physician Associate
The Physician Associate for the surgery can treat and manage a number of conditions, and patients can often be referred to the Physician Associate instead of a GP. If you are referred to the Physician Associate over a GP, it is because your condition is one that the Physician Associate can deal with. Physician Associate cannot deal with regular/long term medication concerns, mental health matters or birth control.
Practice Pharmacy Team
The Pharmacy team are responsible for the medicine management of all patients in the practice. They assist the GPs in ensuring that the patients are on the right medications for their condition, and monitor these going forward. Speak to the pharmacy team about any queries regarding your medication.
Community Care and Treatment Services (CCATS)
The CCATS team provide clinics at both the Pitlochry and the Blarigowrie Community Hospital. Their duties include: taking blood, chronic disease monitoring, wound care, dressings and removal of sutures/stitches, ear care, minor injuries and more.
First Contact Physio (FCP)
The FCP team are the best first point of contact for any muscular or joint problems. They can provide diagnosis and treatment for your condition, as well as refer you on to specialists if that is required. Their service is designed as an alternative to seeing a GP. They are currently based at Blairgowrie Community Hospital, Atholl Medical Centre and Craigvinean Surgery in Dunkeld, and will deal with patients both via telephone and face to face.
Mental health and Wellbeing Team
Currently we have a mental health and wellbeing nurse who operates within the surgery once a week. They can refer you on for more specialist care should it be required. There are various other mental health and wellbeing services that can be contacted outwith the surgery. We can provide patients with contact numbers and self referral options.
Outwith the surgery
The Community Pharmacy should be your first stop for common conditions such as: allergies, backache, colds, dry skin, sore throat, headaches, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea. For a full list of what the pharmacy can treat, speak to reception or go online to www.davidsonschemists.co.uk/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland-service
Eye Conditions
Eye conditions can be managed by your local Opticians. They can treat a majority of eye problems such as: sticky eye, floaters, pain in and around the eye, and blurred/reduced vision. Opticians can also refer you on to ophthalmology at the hospital if required. They maintain emergency appointments on a daily basis should you require your eye looked at urgently.
District/Community Nurses
The District Nurses deliver care to all the patients who are housebound and cannot be seen by a nurse at the surgery. They meet on a regular basis with the GPs to discuss their workload and determine the care each patient will require. Although they do liaise with the GPs, they manage their own caseload.
NHS24
When the surgery is closed or when you are advised to, please contact NHS24 on 111. They can offer advice out of hours and refer you on to the hospital (such as A+E) should you require going there. If you suspect a heart attack or stroke, call 999.
NHS Inform
www.nhsinform.scot/self-help-guides this website contains a great deal of information to manage non life-threatening conditions at home. People are often surprised by what they can treat themselves. You may find this useful for when you do have to wait to be seen by the surgery or you may even find that the self-help advice is all you need and the issue goes away.