How are General Practice services working now?

General Practice provides access to a highly skilled team of clinicians who provide a range of services to help you manage your health and wellbeing.

There are 49 GP practices across Forth Valley each covering a designated area. Many practices are operating at or above their full capacity so appointment availability will vary as well as arrangements for access to urgent care. Services are extremely busy however each Practice will have a system for identifying patients in need of urgent assistance or those who may need help with more routine matters.

Pre-bookable routine appointments are now being offered in most Practices although just as before the pandemic there may be a wait of several weeks for this.

Will I be seen face-to-face?

Many Practices are now seeing patients face to face routinely or giving patients a choice of a telephone or face to face appointment and arrangements may be different in different Practices. There are many problems that can be managed effectively and safely during a phone or video consultation.

If you need to be seen to diagnose or manage your problem, then this will be arranged. Please be reassured that if your clinician feels you need to be seen based on your presentations then this will be organised, and many patients are now being offered a choice of face to face OR telephone consultation.

What form will my appointment take if it is not face-to-face?

Some appointments will now be by telephone or video consultation. Often, if you are requesting urgent, same day assessment then your initial assessment will be by telephone.

Practice administrative staff have been trained and may recommend you contact another more appropriate service for your needs – for example dentist, community pharmacy or optician.

Why is it so difficult to phone my Practice now?

Practices are experiencing unprecedented volumes of calls especially at peak times. The average Forth Valley Practice gets a call every 2 ½ minutes now. Many systems are limited and often each enquiry is taking longer to deal with. Practice administrative staff often carry out other key roles within the Practice to support additional back-office tasks such as organisation of clinical letters, prescription related duties and arranging follow up.

Please be patient with your Practice and if your Practice offers other methods of contacting them such as email or via their website then this may be more convenient for you.

I used to book appointments at my GP practice by popping in and talking to reception staff. Can I still do this?

No. Please do not turn up at the practice without an appointment. While doors are mainly open Practices are still minimising numbers coming in especially as waiting rooms come back into use.

Practice staff are still implementing infection control methods such as mask wearing to avoid outbreaks of coronavirus.

If my appointment is face-to-face, what can I expect when I arrive at the practice?

Reception staff will advise you on their own process. When given a time to attend please arrive as close to that time as possible and not too early or too late.

Should I wear a face mask for my appointment?

Yes. The Scottish Government has advised that face coverings should still be worn when entering healthcare environments.

Can someone come with me to my appointment?

If you feel that it is very important for your care to have someone with you then this should not be a problem.

I really prefer to see my GP and healthcare professional face-to-face. Why can’t this happen in every Practice?

Yes. We understand that it can be frustrating not always being able to see your GP, or other healthcare professional, face-to-face. Pre-pandemic demand for services was high and there is now unprecedented demand. Some Practices have retained largely phone-based contact to help meet that need.