Clinics

• Surgeries each day across two sites offering flexibility, with extended hour availability
• Family planning clinic for contraceptive implant and coil insertion and removal
• Joint injection clinic for common inflammatory conditions
• Diabetes clinic with input from dietician services
• Opiate substitution clinic by prior arrangement and agreement with health board
• Child health surveillance for new born and maternity review for new mums (postnatal care)
• Telephone interpreting service availability
• Cryotherapy for common skin lesions such as skin tags, warts, verrucas, etc.
• Physiotherapy patients can now self referral to our in house Physiotherapist.  please follow the instructions when you click in this link Self Referral Form

SENDING IMAGES TO YOUR GP

If the practice asks you to send an image of your ailment or issue, please follow the attached guide in order to send the best possible image and get the best treatment in the quickest time.  Once you have taken the image, send it to GGC.GP40629images@nhs.scot.  Please note that images will only be accepted if they have been previously requested by the practice.

The image will be deleted from our emailing system once it has been stored in your medical record and will not be used by any other service, unless it is required to be forwarded to secondary care via GP referral.  

How to take an image to send to your GP/consultant

Glasgow West Medical Practice participation in research

 As a practice, we feel that research is essential for progress in healthcare and is of considerable benefit to individual patients and the public as a whole. We regularly take part in research studies with the help of experienced NHS staff who search medical records for people who might be suitable so that we can write to them asking if they are interested in taking part.

 No personal identifiable data is removed from the NHS or provided to any researchers without specific consent from patients.

 Patients have the right to opt out of being contacted about research studies. Please let the reception staff or your GP know if you wish to opt out.

 If you have any questions, please ask to speak to the Practice Manager:

 Name: LAURA MCGINNIS

Tel: 0141 959 6311

Email: GGC.GP40629@NHS.SCOT

 To access the full NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Data Protection & Privacy statement please go to:

 https://www.nhsggc.scot/patient-visitor-faqs/data-protection-privacy/

BARIATRIC SURGERY INFORMATION - PLEASE READ IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HAVING SURGERY PRIVATELY OR ABROAD

We are aware that some of our patients are opting to have bariatric surgery done privately (often overseas) and then hope to have their follow-up provided by their GP practice.

British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) guidelines have emphasised the importance of regular post-operative follow-up for a minimum of two years in a specialist bariatric surgical service (2). This means that GPs should not provide follow-up in the first two years after surgery, regardless of whether the patient has accessed surgery via the NHS or privately. NHSGGC bariatric surgery services are currently declining to follow-up patients who access surgery privately.

A letter from the Scottish Government Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Medical Officer and National Clinical Director on the subject of overseas travel for private bariatric surgery in January 2023 stated:

• ‘While the NHS in Scotland will always provide emergency care where necessary, all routine pre and post-operative care should be part of the package of care purchased by the individual patient.
• There will be no obligation on NHS Boards to provide such routine pre and post-operative care.
• In the event of a patient advising a healthcare professional of plans to travel overseas for privately arranged and purchased surgery, they should be advised firstly that this is not recommended, and secondly that there will be no obligation on their local NHS Board to provide routine pre and post-operative care. All care required should be provided within the package of care sold by the overseas provider.’

In addition, a letter to GP practices from the Scottish Government Director of Primary Care and Chief Medical Officer for Scotland on 11^th July 2023 made it clear that:

• ‘The Scottish Government would not expect GPs to be obliged to provide such routine associated management required as scans, blood tests, follow-up treatments […] as required by the private sector.’

Finally, in January 2024, is was agreed across all NHS boards that:

• ‘Where the patient has received [bariatric] surgery privately or abroad, patients should be directed to a private provider for suitable follow up.’

Aftercare in this instance includes blood monitoring, blood pressure and weight checks and nutritional supplements (both tablets and injections). Suitable aftercare requirements are detailed and updated in the BOMSS post-bariatric surgery nutritional guidance for GPs (3) and we would urge anyone considering private bariatric surgery to take these requirements into account. This aftercare will not be undertaken by our practice and it will be the patient’s responsibility to arrange for this to be carried out by a local private healthcare provider.

We would not recommend travelling overseas for private bariatric surgery. We would suggest that anyone considering this reads the BOMSS statement on going abroad for weight loss surgery which outlines some of the risks in detail (4). If you would like support with losing weight then please visit Weight Loss Surgery - NHSGGC(1) or book a consultation with your GP.

Resources

1. https://bomss.org/bomss-overview-of-gp-management-of-patients-post-bariatric-surgery/
2. https://bomss.org/bomss-post-bariatric-surgery-nutritional-guidance-for-gps/
3. https://bomss.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/BOMSS-Statement-on-Bariatric-Tourism-Jan-2023-v2.pdf