ANNOUNCEMENT

News about consultations

As of Wednesday 7^th August we will have an Advanced Nurse Practitioner Jackie Cherrie on a Wednesday Thursday and Friday

Dr Yule will still consult on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

Links Practice are pleased to announce we will now be offering extended hours every Friday 7.30am to 8.30am with the ANP Jackie Cherrie

Please contact surgery to book

New Service - Physio First

A first contact practitioner (FCP) is an experienced physiotherapist who has the advanced skills necessary to assess, diagnose and recommend appropriate treatment or referral for musculoskeletal (MSK) problems on a patient’s first contact with healthcare services e.g when they visit their GP surgery.                              

Patients with MSK complaints can be booked in to see an FCP by a GP receptionist or other healthcare professional.  An FCP offers expert MSK assessment and diagnosis, however, is also integrated within the multi-disciplinary team in each GP Practice.  If appropriate an FCP may prescribe a programme of exercises, refer for blood tests or X-ray, administer steroid injections, utilise local services or refer a patient to an appropriate secondary health service e.g. rheumatology or orthopaedics.

Please speak to our Reception Team who can book you an appointment. 

Mental Health Nurse

We are pleased that we also have a mental health nurse called Rebecca Springthorpe every Tuesday 

The role of a Mental Health Nurse is to build effective relationships with patients who use mental health services and also their relatives or carers, whether that's helping them to take their medication correctly, or advising about relevant therapies or social activities.

We are grateful to our patient population for noting the below changes.

• Every day their will be pre-bookable appointments to book, please phone the surgery and they will advise you of what is available. Urgent appointments will be given out at 8am as usual. 

• GP appointments can be booked as telephone consultation or face to face

• Nurses appointments will be pre-bookable again and can be booked at anytime of the day. Phlebotomist/Treatment Room Nurse can be booked in advance also. 

• Patients are invited to attend the practice but should still arrive at their appointment time. Please do not arrive too early or late. 

https://www.gov.scot/publications/easy-read-general-practice-access-short-life-working-group/pages/1/

Key Messages Based on the current position in regards to the coronavirus, the key messages for the general public are on the NHS inform website:

For the latest public information on coronavirus visit http://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus

Prescriptions

Prescriptions can be sent to the chemist for collection please advise which chemist you would like these sent to when ordering, collection can be from surgery but please allow 48hrs for processing.

You can also collect prescriptions from the surgery to take to a chemist of your choice.

Prescription requests over the phone will no longer be available due to high demand in calls you can order online please ask at reception to get access to this,

We have set up a new email address at you can request here  fife.20184linksscripts@nhs.scot  ensuring name, date of birth and medication on each correspondence or you could post them to us here at the surgery.

Sick Lines

All sick lines requested should be collected from the surgery.

* You do not require any form of certification during the first FOUR DAYS off work.
* If you are off for up to SEVEN DAYS because you are not well enough to attend work, then you should fill in a self-certificate.
* Anything OVER SEVEN DAYS means you will need a fit note (doctor's certificate)

Self certificate form available from the Gov.uk website

Please use the web address www.thelinkspractice.scot.nhs.uk when using our site please.

We are often asked what the doctors do when not seeing patients

Every day the doctor will have

• House calls
• Complete DWP reports
• Complete Insurance Reports
• Medication reviews
• Sign Prescriptions
• Deal with any patient queries
• Deal with pharmacy queries
• Attend clinical and non clinical meetings
• Do referrals to hospital
• Deal with discharge letters from hospital
• Deal with the daily mail from hospitals
• Check results that have come in
• Telephone patients
• Deal with any emergencies as they happen
• Liaise with District Nurses and Practice Nurses

CHANGES TO ONLINE PRESCIPTION ORDERING

Please be advised that we are updating the online request system for prescription ordering.

 If you currently order via email please contact the surgery as a matter of urgency and a pin number will be issued to enable you to order through our new system called Patient Access.

When ordering via the website, you will be redirected to the new Patient Access page where you will be asked to contact the practice to obtain a pin number.

We have set up a new email address at you can request here  fife.20184linksscripts@nhs.scot  ensuring name, date of birth and medication on each correspondence or you could post them to us here at the surgery.

Changes to medications

It is important to be aware many patients’ medicines will be changed from December 12th 2016 as NHS Fife launch their new, updated Formulary (the list of medicines approved for use by NHS Fife).  

This happens regularly to ensure the list recommends the best quality, up to date medicines. It will bring us into line with the rest of Scotland and help ensure value for money, because the cost of individual medicines fluctuates regularly.

Every effort is being made to ensure affected patients know about the changes but it is possible some patients may have concerns or questions.

If a patient you are caring for has any questions please be ready to offer the following reassurance. 

NHS Fife is reviewing patients’ medicine to check that:

• The medicines are still suitable
• Patients are not having side effects
• The medicines are still value for money for the NHS because

       prices often change over time

Patients who require specific information about their new medicine or who are concerned about side effects they are experiencing should be advised to speak to their pharmacist or contact our helpline in the first instance

Helpline no: 0800 22 44 88

It is available 8am – 10pm 7 days a week, apart from 24 – 27^thDec and 31^stDec  - 3^rdJan when it will be open 9am – 5pm. 

The number is free to call from landlines and mobiles.

Travel vaccine information:

The NHS FifeFitforTravel (FFT) webpage will be live from 01 April 2022, details and contact telephone numbers for local pharmacies providing travel health service are available on the FFT webpage which is linked to NHS Inform and PHS or for more information, including opening hours, visit www.nhsinform.scot/pharmacies.