Details of new services which are being introduced to support GP Practices across Stirlingshire will be discussed at a meeting in Stirling.

The meeting, which takes place in the Lecture Theatre at Stirling Community Hospital on Wednesday 12^th September 2018 from 7.00pm until 9.00pm, will be attended by GP practice staff along representatives from NHS Forth Valley and the local Health and Social Care Partnership.

It follows the introduction of a new national GP contract which will see mental health workers, physiotherapists, advanced nurse practitioners and pharmacists, working as part of multi-professional teams with local GPs.  This will create additional capacity, increase the range of services available in local communities and free up doctors to spend more time seeing patients with more serious or complex healthcare needs.

It will also ensure people are seen by the right healthcare professionals with the right skills to deliver the care they need. For example, patients with joint pain, backache or mobility issues, such as knee or hip pain, could be offered an appointment with a physiotherapist. Mental health nurses will be able to provide support to patients with many common mental health conditions including stress and anxiety. Advanced nurse practitioners, who are highly skilled clinicians, will be able to assess, diagnose and prescribe medication for a wide range of health conditions.

Also addressing the meeting will be the NHS Forth Valley’s Director of Pharmacy Services, Scott Mitchell. He will provide an update on pharmacy services across the area including Pharmacy First, an initiative to provide free treatment for a variety of conditions without the need for a GP prescription. These include urine infections, skin conditions (including impetigo, eczema, dermatitis and cellulitis), insect bites and nail infections.