Cumnock and Muirkirk surgeries are open
Our surgeries are open from the hours of 8:30am – 5:30pm (closed between 1 – 2pm, emergency calls only). If you wish to make an appointment this can be done by calling into our Medical Reception team who will direct you to the most appropriate clinician.
If you require and urgent appointment, for emergency reasons only, we have a triage system in place. This involves a nurse calling you back, collecting details and dealing with your concern in the most appropriate way ie – advice, prescription or appointment.
Get help from your Pharmacy
If you have a minor illness, a pharmacy is the first place you should go for advice. You do not usually need an appointment and you can go to any pharmacy.
Your local pharmacist or a trained member of the pharmacy team will give you advice and provide medicine if needed. They may need to refer you to another healthcare professional such as your GP practice, dentist, optometrist or another NHS service if they feel your condition needs further investigation or more specialist care.
Who should I see?
Arrange an appointment with a Doctor or Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Some patients, often those with complex and long-standing medical problems, may need an appointment with a doctor. Once you have spoke to the receptionist, you will be passed on to the triage nurse who will appoint you with the appropriate clinician which either a GP, ANP or a practice nurse or you may simply be give advice and prescription over the phone.
Call the Tanyard Muirkirk Medical Group on 01290 421157 or 01290 661286 to arrange an appointment with a doctor
Arrange an appointment with a Practice Nurse
The Practice Nurse is usually able to assess the situation and in some cases will organise initial blood tests and other investigations prior to arranging a follow up appointment with your Doctor or Advanced nurse practitioner (ANP).
A team of Practice nurses run the treatment rooms during normal surgery hours. Sessions are run for dressings, minor ailments, removal of sutures, injections, immunisations and ear syringing etc.
See a Nurse about: blood pressure checks, back pain, chest infection, cough and cold, rash, sore throat, urine infection, cervical smears, dressings, family planning advice, contraceptives, minor injuries and ailments, immunisations, diabetes management, asthma care, COPD, heart care, free health checks for 40-70 year olds, removal of stitches and clips etc.
Call Tanyard Muirkirk Medical Group on 01290 421157 or 01290 661286 to arrange an appointment with a nurse
Arrange an appointment with the Healthcare Assistants or Phlebotomy Team
Our Plebotomist and/or Practice Healthcare Assistant, can provide the following services;
- Blood tests
- Blood pressure checks
- 24-hour BP Monitoring
- Glucose Tolerance
- Testing Helicobacter
- Breath Tests
- Electrocardiography
- Vitamin B12 and Cytamen Injections
- In addition to this our team can also provide the following services;
- Spirometry testing
- Stitch Removal
- Simple Dressings
- Keep Well reviews
Call Tanyard Medical Practice on 01290 421157 or The Clinic on 01290 661286 to arrange an appointment
District Nursing Team
District Nurses carry out many roles for housebound patients, including:
- General nursing procedures and investigations
- Post-surgery care
- Assessment of patients’ needs
- Care for terminally ill patients
- Loaning of equipment
- Looking after wounds and leg ulcers
- Educating patients about self-care
Referrals can be made by patients themselves or by carers and family members. Please contact: 01563 826524
Medical Advice
If you require to speak to a GP or nurse for medical advice, please state this. You will be asked to give your details and a member of the triage team will return your call. Please make sure you leave the correct contact telephone number for the GP or Nurse to call you back on.
Can another Healthcare Professional help?
Do you need to see the GP?
Sometimes the GP is not the most appropriate Healthcare Professional to deal with your ailment. Please see the information on see a Doctor or Healthcare Professional, which might help you decide whether a GP appointment is truly necessary or whether it might be better for you to see a Pharmacist, Optician, Dentist or other Healthcare Professional. You can even self-refer for some services without seeing your GP.
For real life-threatening emergencies such as those below – RING 999
- Chest pain (suspected heart attack)
- Suspected stroke
- Suspected meningitis
- Anaphylactic shock (severe allergy)
- Heavy bleeding or deep lacerations
- Fluctuating levels of consciousness or completely unconscious
- Difficulty breathing or stopped breathing with a change in colour
- New seizure, fit or uncontrollable shaking
For immediately serious conditions such as the following, GO TO Emergency Department (A&E) IMMEDIATELY
- A fever and lethargic (drowsy) child
- A feverish and floppy (unresponsive) infant
- Difficulty breathing
- Sudden, severe abdominal pain
- Accidental or intentional overdose of medication
- Trauma (including falls) and possible broken bones or road traffic accident
Patients who have a problem outwith the surgery opening hours that can’t wait until the surgery reopens should contact NHS24 by dialling 111.
Your appointment at the Practice
- Appointments may be made by telephone or in person
- All GP, ANP and Nurse consultations are by appointment
- Please make one appointment for each member of the family who needs to be seen
- We try to keep to time but please be patient if someone before you takes longer than planned
- Appointments are normally ten minute slots and so if you have a complicated problem, or more than one problem, please ask for a longer appointment
- It is Practice policy to allow patients to choose whichever doctor they wish to attend in the Practice (however this may not always be possible during periods of annual leave or illness).
Keeping appointments
DNAs (Did Not Attend)
Every week we have approximately 50 patients who do not arrive for their appointments and they fail to cancel. These appointments are valuable and could be used for patients who really need to be seen that day. Please telephone well in advance if you cannot attend or no longer need your appointment.
Persistent failure to attend without notification may result in a patient being asked to register with another practice.
It’s important that you keep to your appointments. You have rights and responsibilities as a patient. Find out more about the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities on NHS inform.
Please help us
If you are not able to attend your appointment please let us know in time so that the time can be used for someone else. If you are late for an appointment you may be asked to re-book.
Additional information
Can I bring someone to accompany me to the Appointment?
We are generally very happy for patients to bring with them a carer, relative or even a friend. This often helps, particularly when they know you well and it allows them to tell us any observations they would make about you, which can help us in undertaking our assessment. Ultimately this will lead us more quickly to make an accurate diagnosis and therefore help you more.
Also, having someone with you means they can prompt you to ask questions that you may have forgotten, and after the appointment they can help in reminding you what was discussed.
Occasionally we might ask for them to leave but this would be unusual.
If you require interpretation services please contact us in advance of you appointment and we will arrange this.
Consultations 16 to 75
If a patient aged between 16 and 75 years has not had a practice consultation within a period of three years, we are happy, on request, to provide a consultation.
Chaperone Policy
We will always respect your privacy, dignity and your religious and cultural beliefs particularly when intimate examinations are advisable – these will only be carried out with your express agreement and you will be offered a chaperone to attend the examination if you so wish.
You may also request a chaperone when making the appointment or on arrival at the surgery (please let the receptionist know) or at any time during the consultation.
Giving Consent for Treatment
You have the right to accept or refuse treatment that is offered to you, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless you have given valid consent. If you do not have the capacity to do so, consent must be obtained from a person legally able to act on your behalf, or the treatment must be in your best interests.
Your valid consent (agreement to the course of action) is needed for the treatment that’s offered to you before any physical examinations or treatment can be given. If you haven’t given your consent, you can accept or refuse treatment that’s offered to you.
It’s important to be involved in decisions about your treatment and to be given information to help you choose the right treatment. When making treatment choices, you’ll often discuss the options with your doctor or another healthcare professional.
If you have a suspected infectious disease
Please inform reception if you suspect an infectious disease, as this will enable us to deal with it appropriately during your visit to protect you, other patients and staff.
Interpreter
If you require an interpreter to attend with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and this will be arranged.
Private Medical Examinations
Medical examinations for special purposes such as pre-employment, fitness to travel, elderly drivers, fitness to undertake sports etc, will require longer than a routine appointment.
These examinations do not form part of NHS Services, you will be charged for any such examination. Please check the fee chargeable when you require to arrange any such examination.