Ferguson Medical Centre - Contacts Info!

Who are you going to call?             

Getting the right help when you’re unwell.

Lochcarron Medical Partnership is an important part of the community of Lochcarron and the surrounding communities and we are very lucky that, unlike most of the rest of the UK at the moment, we can access GP appointments relatively quickly and easily.  However, in common with everywhere else, the service is in increasing demand and sometimes patients are having to wait a little longer for appointments with GPs than in the past.

There are a number of things that we can all do to help ensure that GP appointments are quickly and easily accessible to everyone who needs them, and the most important of these is to think about who is the most appropriate healthcare provider for your need – it might not be a GP!

We have put together the following guide to help you decide whether to call the GP or someone else (and remember, you can always call us if you’re still not sure, and we will help guide you to the right care).

Toothache, gum abscesses etc – GPs are unable to assess or treat any of these – you need to see a dentist. If you are not registered with a dentist, you can call the Emergency Dental Helpline 0800 141 2362 (Open Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 5.00pm)

Musculoskeletal problems – you need to be assessed by the Physiotherapist. There is now a handy online assessment tool called Phio which will ask you questions about your condition and then send your answers to NHS Highland physiotherapists for assessment.  They will then contact you and let you know what you need to do.  Our visiting physiotherapist, Anita Pearce, is at the surgery 3 days a month and we can make an appointment with her for you if necessary. She can refer you for X-rays, prescribe medications and refer you on to secondary care, if necessary. You can access Phio through our website (see below).

Viral illnesses (flu, Covid 19 etc) – antibiotics will not help with viruses.  The best advice for flu-like illnesses (including Covid) is to rest, drink lots of water and take paracetamol.  We do not have any tests at the surgery as the guidance is now not to test, but to treat Covid like any other respiratory illness.  Obviously, if you become seriously unwell or are struggling to breathe, you should contact us at the surgery.

Podiatry – the podiatrist is at the surgery every week, but appointments need to be booked through Portree Hospital.  If you need a referral form, you can find it on our website. To book an appointment, call 01478 613200 and ask for extension 2156

Tick bites – if you have a tick bite, remove the tick using a tick removal took or a pair of fine-tipped tweezers. If you develop a bullseye rash around the bite site or a temperature and flu-like symptoms, contact the surgery for a GP appointment.

Accessing Care Out-Of-Hours

If you are unwell after the surgery is closed or at the weekend, don’t forget that we have excellent out of hours practitioners who are on call to help - so there’s no need to wait until the next day or for Monday morning (when the surgery is often at its busiest) – call 111 and you will be put through to a local practitioner.

Prescriptions

If you need to order a repeat prescription, the easiest way to do this is to call our Prescription line on 722661 – the line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  You can also register to order your prescriptions online – please see our website for details. We ask that you give us at least two full working days’ notice for any prescriptions that you need.

Our Website

Please also remember our website – lochcarronmedicalpractice.co.uk – where you can find further information and links to many of our services.  You can also look at nhsinform.scot, which offers advice and information about all aspects of health in NHS Highland.