Dingwall Medical Group

The Doctors

Training GPs For The Future

The practice has always been involved in medical education and in fact many of the partners themselves trained in the practice. At present we provide training at three levels:

• Undergraduate Medical Students

We take students from Aberdeen and Dundee Universities usually for a period of four to eight weeks for experience in general practice as part of their undergraduate medical training.

We hope you will enjoy helping with their learning as we know they appreciate their time in our practice. We feel we are able to give them experience which will be highly beneficial for their future careers and by being involved in training, we have an increased impetus to provide the highest possible medical care.

You will always be advised in advance of the presence of a student and can ask for them to leave at any time. This will not prejudice your care in any way.

• General Practice Registrars

These are attached to the practice for between six and eighteen months and are here to help. They are all fully qualified and have postgraduate experience in hospital before coming to work in the practice.

• Higher Professional Training

On occasions we host doctors undertaking advanced training in specific areas of General Practice, for instance Remote and Rural Training Fellows. These are fully qualified General Practitioners with a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in General Practice. We feel the practice benefits from their experience and enthusiasm.

Research

The practice is a member of the Medical Research Council’s General Practice Research Framework which is a national group of general practices interested in research on many topics including the prevention of heart disease, long-term back pain, asthma, diabetes and assessment of elderly people.

From time to time the practice also carries out its own research projects. If the practice takes part in a study, we might like to pass your name, address and age, as recorded on our practice computer, to the Medical Research Council or similar research body. If we do, the information will remain confidential and can be used only to choose a sample of patients whom we would then contact to ask whether they would consider helping with some research. If we contacted you, you would be free to refuse to help without your medical care being affected in any way. In addition, the practice, from time to time, takes part in market research based on anonymised records collected in the course of providing care.

You are free to refuse permission for us to pass on your details; if you wish to do so, please see one of the doctors.

Health Board Checks

From time to time the Health Board will ask to see patient records to confirm that we have only claimed payment for those procedures that we have carried out eg cervical smears, minor surgical procedures. This will involve visiting administrative staff making checks on patients’ records. The information will remain confidential.

If you do not wish your records accessed in his way please discuss this with your doctor or the practice manager.

Practice Managers and Staff

Mr Bob Macnaughton BSc (Hons) is the Practice Manager, responsible for the general running of the practice, the GMS Contract and staffing issues.

Miss Emma Garden BA is the Assistant Practice Manager/Finance Officer and is responsible for the administration of the practice.

They are helped by a team of practice staff who deal with appointments, repeat prescriptions, lab results, IT and other administrative tasks. We ensure that the confidentiality of patients' records is maintained at the highest level by all staff.

At times the practice also employs locum doctors to help cover during periods when the regular doctors are away at meetings or on leave. These doctors are all fully qualified and on the Health Board Supplementary List.

Practice Nurses

The practice nurse team consists of four practice nurses and a health care assistant.
The nurses are:-

Sheena Cameron RN, SCM
Anne Potter RGN
Nell MacGillivray RN
Dolleen Ross RN

Marion Walker is the health care assistant.

They are available by appointment and their numerous tasks include:

When making an appointment the receptionist may ask you the reason for your appointment. This helps us to organise the workload and minimises delays.

District Nurses

The district nurses are available to give nursing care to patients in their own home and work closely with the GPs. They are based in the health centre and can be contacted by telephoning 01349 862220. If they are out on their rounds a message may be left on their answering machine. The nursing team also have a responsibility to assist with the training of student nurses. You may occasionally be asked if you are willing to have a student nurse assist with your nursing care. District nurses are available from 9.00am - 5.00pm, seven days per week.

Health Visitors

Health visitors are nurses with training and skills focusing mainly on family and community health issues. They are based in the Portakabin behind the Health Centre.
They work largely with families with pre-school children but also provide services such as smoking cessation clinics, parenting groups, antenatal/parentcraft and other activities to promote good health.
They visit clients at home where necessary.They work Monday - Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm and have an answerphone service operating when they are unavailable or out on visits etc. They can be contacted on 01349 866410. They hold baby clinics every Wednesday from 11.00am - 12.30pm. Please ring the above number to make an appointment.

Community Midwives

The community midwives help to look after women during pregnancy and during and after giving birth along with GPs and hospital consultants. They hold regular antenatal clinics in the Ross Memorial Hospital outpatient department as well as parentcraft and relaxation classes.

Further details are available and appointments can be made by contacting them on 01349 864571.

Substance Misuse Nurses

Substance misuse nurses are mental health nurses who specialise in helping people with alcohol or drug problems. Substance misuse nurses recognise it can be very difficult to change established habits and would initially meet with a patient to discuss to what extent alcohol or drugs are a problem for an individual and to look at what treatment options may be suitable.

They work Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm. Please ask your doctor to refer you if you want help to address an alcohol or drug problem or they can be contacted directly at 01463 871901.

Practice Mental Health Nurse

The practice mental health nurse is available two days each week to see patients who are experiencing problems around anxiety, stress or depression. Contact can be from one to six sessions. Referral is normally made by your GP.

School Nurses

School nurses provide health care in the school setting for all children from primary 1 to secondary 6. This includes screening, health education, counselling, 'drop-ins' and home visits.

They work during term time and can be contacted on 01349 867178.