Why does the Receptionist ask for more details when I phone to request an appointment?
When you phone for an appointment, the Receptionist will ask a few more details about you condition in order to try to make sure you are seen by the right member of the Health Team in the correct length of appointment. This will hopefully enable you to get the treatment you require more efficiently.
Why does the Receptionist ask for details when I want a telephone consultation?
This will enable the Receptionist to allocate you an appointment with the correct member of the health team.
Why do I need to attend for a regular medication review?
The majority of patients on regular repeat medications will require a regular review to make sure the medication you are taking remain the most appropriate and safe for you to take.
Why do I need to attend in the morning for a blood test?
All of our blood tests are collected by a courier at around 12 midday from the Practice and then transported to the Laboratory at the Borders General Hospital. Many of the blood tests we perform need to be "fresh" samples, and therefore if we can get the samples to the Laboratory for processing the same day the results will be more reliable.
When is the best time to phone the Practice?
The phones at the Practice can be very busy first thing in the morning when patients with urgent medical problems are trying to contact the Practice. We would therefore encourage you to please contact the Practice after 1030 am if you are not phoning about an urgent appointment. Please phone after 1030 am when booking a routine appointment. For results of blood tests, X-rays and other investigations it is often best to phone after 2 pm when we are more likely to have results back from the Hospital and Laboratory.
What should I do when I attend for my appointment?
Please arrive on-time for your appointment and inform the Receptionist when you have arrived so you can be marked as present.
How long is my appointment with the GP?
All of our routine consultations at the practice are 15 minutes in length and are made by telephoning the Practice, or in person, or on-line by registering for EMIS Patient Access. Appointments can be booked up to eight weeks in advance.
If you feel you have a more complex issue or wish to discuss a number of issues then please ask for a longer appointment when booking your appointment and we will try to accommodate this.
The Doctors and Health Care team will always try to keep to time but often due to circumstances out-with our control the clinic may be running late. Reception staff will inform you on arrival if the clinic is running more than 20 minutes late.
Why is my appointment with the GP sometimes running late?
The Doctors and Health Care team will always try to keep to time but often due to circumstances out-with our control the clinic may be running late. Reception staff will inform you on arrival if the clinic is running more than 20 minutes late.
What/who is a Locum Doctor?
A Locum Doctor is a fully trained General Practitioner who the Practice have employed to cover one of the regular four Partners who is temporarily away from the Practice on leave.
How do I make a complaint or give the Practice feedback?
I you wish to provide feedback or make a complaint about any aspect of the Stow and Lauder Health services then please write to or ask to speak to the Practice Manager who can be contacted by telephoning either Lauder or Stow Health Centre.