However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery

Appointments by phone can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

We may also re-direct you to an alternative service such as the Pharmacy or Minor Injuries.

Telephone Advice
We have a system where you can book a telephone ‘advice slot’, with either a GP or nurse as appropriate. They will usually call you back to discuss your problem within an allotted time. Please ensure you let the receptionist know what it is in connection with and confirm your telephone number, (landline or mobile number)

Answer Phones/Messaging Service
Please ensure you give us your consent if you wish us to leave a message for you to contact the surgery. Also you must update us of any change in phone numbers – especially mobiles. 

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.

To cancel your appointment:

• phone us on  01334 871164 (Balmullo) or 01334 839210 (Leuchars), Monday to Friday from 8am to 1pm or 2pm to 6pm.
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message.
• If phoning is proving difficult, please email the practice, giving as much notice as possible. Fife.f21204leuchars@nhs.scot.

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or Call 111.

NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
• if you need an interpreter
• if you have any other access or communication needs

Chaperones

It is Practice policy to offer a chaperone for intimate examinations. If you anticipate you may require one then please let the receptionist know so that this can be arranged for you.

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 10:00.

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.

Lack of transport is not a reason to request or expect a home visit.

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.

If during your appointment it has been agreed that the GP will send a referral on your behalf, you will receive a text message within 2 weeks to confirm the referral has been sent.

If you do not receive this text message, please contact the surgery to enquire as to the status of your referral.

This is a GP Training Practice attached to the NHS Education for Scotland Specialty GP Training Programme. We are keen to support the training of new GPs and also to develop the skills of our existing GPs and other staff.

As part of this, clinicians working in this practice might make recordings of their consultations with patients to help them improve their consultation skills as well as their ability to talk to patients.

The recording will only be used for teaching and training purposes, usually within the practice building between trainer and trainee, although sometimes teaching sessions may be held outside the practice in a group setting where the recording may be viewed by other trainers and trainees.

Your consent will always be requested by the receptionist before your consultation is recorded. You will need to sign that consent form again afterwards to say that you are still happy. You can also withdraw your consent at any time following this, either verbally or in writing.

The recording will focus on the communication between the doctor and patient and will not record examinations where your body clothing needs to be removed.

If you would rather that your consultation is not recorded, please tell the receptionist. This is entirely your choice and will not affect your health care in any way.

Please also refer to our practice privacy notice which tells you how we manage your personal information when you make contact with us or use one of our services.

The contact details for the Practice’s data protection officer are: Fife.F21204Leuchars@nhs.scot.

In Scotland, Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease) is the second most common cause of death after cancer. It causes over 25% of all deaths in Scotland with many of these in people aged under 75 years old. Many of these are avoidable which means that they are preventable or treatable through timely and effective intervention. Many people are not aware that they are living with risk factors that increase their risk of Cardiovascular Disease such as raised Blood Pressure. It is estimated that one in three adults have high Blood Pressure but only around a quarter of these are treated and controlled.

As such, the Scottish Government have commenced a national programme to address this issue with the aim to significantly reduce avoidable cardiovascular deaths. Pitcairn Practice has agreed to participate in this programme to help our patients improve their cardiovascular health.

Patients aged 35-60 years old who have not received the full list of Cardiovascular checks within the past 3 years are being invited to attend the practice. These checks include:

- Blood Pressure

- Bloods for cholesterol and diabetes check

- Weight

- Smoking status

Following this, each patient will receive a telephone appointment with a GP or practice nurse to discuss their results.

You have been identified as being eligible for the above assessment and we kindly invite you to contact Pitcairn Practice for your Cardiovascular Disease risk assessment. We strongly encourage that you do this to address any risk factors and improve your cardiovascular health.

If you have any questions, please get in contact with a member of the practice team.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Craig Morrison