To help safely manage demand for our service, we have reviewed our appointment system. From Monday the 30th May 2022, you will still phone and speak to a patient care advisor, who will arrange a callback with a member of our clinical staff.  

When we have reached full capacity for the morning slots, we will move to urgent requests only and ask you to call back after 13:30pm for a routine callback in the afternoon. 

We will be closed between 12:30 and 13:30

Thank you for your understanding/cooperation, 

Wester Hailes Medical Practice

What is Pharmacy First Scotland?

Information on how you and your doctor (or other healthcare professional) can work together to decide whether you need a medicine and, if so, which to prescribe, can be found in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland publication Medicines in Scotland: What's the right treatment for me?. This booklet also explains the likely benefits and possible risks of medicines.

You can go to your community pharmacy for advice and medicines for minor illnesses from the Pharmacy First service. Minor illnesses include:

Acne - Allergies - Athlete's Foot - Backache - Blocked or runny nose - Cold sores - Constipation - Cough - Cystitis - (in women) - Diarrhoea - Earache - Eczema - Headache - Head Lice - Haemorrhoids (piles) - Hay Fever - Impetigo - Indigestion - Mouth Ulcers - Pain - Period Pain - Sore Throat - Threadworms - Thrush - Warts - Verrucas

More information is available at NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.

Information about getting the right treatment for common viral illnesses such as colds and coughs without encouraging antibiotic resistance can be found in the NHS publication Get Well Soon Without Antibiotics.

Pharmacy team

Health board pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are becoming more involved in the care of patients in General Practice. Having the pharmacy team working in our surgery provides valuable medicines support, a close link with our community pharmacy teams and allows our GPs to focus their skills and time where they are most needed for patients who have more complex needs.

What does the pharmacy team do?

• Provide expertise on day-to-day medicines
• Give advice for patients taking multiple medications
• Carry out medication reviews and other medicines-related support, including discussing side effects
• Give help for patients with their medicines following a stay in hospital, particularly if there has been a change in regimen
• Answer medications and prescription-related questions
• Produce prescriptions
• Support managing patients’ long-term conditions, such as high blood pressure

When you may get an appointment with one of the pharmacy team

Our pharmacists can provide telephone and face-to-face appointments. The pharmacists, pharmacy technicians or the doctors often review some or all of your medicines and may want to talk with you about the medicines you are currently taking. In the practice we like to review your medicine at least once a year, or more often if needed.

You may have heard people referring to Polypharmacy. It means lots of medicines. A medicine review is particularly useful for people who take a lot of medicines; for these people their medicines review may be called a Polypharmacy Review. Further information is on the NHS Scotland’s website Polypharmacy: Manage medicines or the Managing Multiple Medicines app (available at: Polypharmacy: Manage Medicines)

Econsults are unavailable from week commencing 21st March 2022. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Econsults will be available from Monday 25th April 2022.

MIA - Online Minor Injury Assessment

Remember that NHS services remain available to you when the surgery and pharmacies are closed. For minor injuries, Call MIA to get advice quickly and safely.

Signposts for Health and Other Support