As we move further into winter I write with a number of important updates. Dr Lesley Blackwood returns from maternity leave at the start of January. We are also increasing the number of GP Partners from 1st January. We are delighted to announce that Dr Daniel Mathie, who has provided us with some additional sessions over the last year, will join the partnership, taking us from 5 GP Partners to 6.
This time last year we indicated that our clinical software would be changing as part of a national rollout. This was paused for 12 months at a national level but has now restarted again. We have therefore been informed that our clinical software will change between Thursday 29th January and Tuesday 3rd February. This is a significant change management project for everyone involved and we do ask for your patience, in the lead up to it, during it and as we familiarise ourselves with the new software post change. The key things for patients to be aware of are that our appointment diary for beyond this day will not be accessible until after the new software is installed.
We understand that there will be two to three days where we will not be able to add any notes into the clinical system and so can only deal with the most urgent issues on those days. We will be working an interim booking system from 19th January, where we will operate an on the day service only, and will not book GP appointments ahead of time. This is to help deal with demand and ensure that those patients who need to be seen can be. We will pause our online GP appointment request forms during this period (19th Jan onwards) so that all requests are taken on the day by telephone. Nurse and bloods appointments will run as normal up until Wed 28 Jan. Patient Access will stop working as of Friday 23rd January. It would help us if any prescriptions due around that time are requested earlier than normal, up to two weeks before. We will be able again to deal with normal prescription requests after the new software is installed. In short please avoid requesting repeat prescriptions within the period Friday 23rd January to Fri 6th February.
In summary, key points for patients –
- From Monday 19th January until Wednesday 4th February we will be will be operating an on-the-day- service only for GP appointments with the same number of appointments and staff available to see patients. Requests will need to be made on the day to reception.
- We will pause our online GP appointment request forms during this period (19th Jan onwards) so that all requests are taken on the day by telephone.
- We will not be able to book GP appointments in advance from Mon 19th January until after the new software is installed, possibly Thurs 5th Feb.
- On Thursday 29th, Friday 30th January and Monday 2nd February we will be only able to deal with emergencies as we will be unable to enter data into the clinical system.
- On Tuesday 3rd February our new system will go live and at some point that week we hope to get our future appointment books up and running. Please be patient in the first few days.
- Routine prescriptions due around this time should be requested early and patients are asked to avoid asking for routine, repeat prescriptions during the dates Fri 23rd January to Fri 6th February.
- Patient Access, software that some patients use to order multiple medications will be turned off on Friday 23rd January. This will no longer work and patients can delete their Patient Access account. Those users who completed the online form regarding Patient Access when we invited you to, or the equivalent paper slip in reception several months back, will receive an invite during the weekend of Saturday 31st January from Patient Services, inviting them to register for the replacement service.
We understand that this is a lot of change and users of our service will be concerned. Please be aware that we will do everything we can to make this a smooth successful transition. We will have IT staff from the Health Board and also staff from the software developer themselves all onsite working with our staff to ensure we are up and running again as quickly as possible. The dates are outwith our control. While we are one of the first GP Practices in Greater Glasgow to change clinical software provider, this is part of a national rollout across Scotland.
As mentioned previously, we will be unable to post prescriptions to other pharmacies after the new software is installed. Patients’ prescriptions will be sent only to those pharmacies who collect from the surgery, otherwise will require to be collected in person. Specialist companies who deliver larger items to patients are unaffected. Pharmacies which collect from the surgery include: Boots (Clarkston), Boots (Newton Mearns), Broom (Newton Mearns), Busby, Carmunnock, Dears (Ayr Road), Eaglesham, Eastwoodmains, Howard (Seres Road), Mackies (Giffnock), Morrisons (Stewartfield), Muirend, Penney (Cathcart), Rowlands (Newton Mearns), Scots (Netherlee), St James (East Kilbride), Superdrug (Newton Mearns), Well (Clarkston).
The pressures of winter, together with the clinical software change, will impact wait times for routine appointments through December. Please remember the Pharmacy First service, which can treat a number of minor ailments including sore throats and urinary tract infections (UTIs). They can provide prescriptions where necessary, give advice and refer onto other healthcare teams, including the GP. Where appropriate we encourage you to try the Pharmacy First service.
We have a lot of change ahead and ask again for your patience and understanding over the coming months. Please treat staff with respect when speaking with them. We will post updates on our website news page and may send some text reminders as the above dates approach. If anything changes due to factors outwith our control, we will keep you updated. Signage will also be up in Reception.
We also wish to thank those who contributed to Dr McLennan’s charity bike ride. In the end the total raised for Prostate Cancer charities was £2700.
Finally, on behalf of the practice may I wish everyone a lovely Christmas and health and best wishes for 2026.
Carolside Medical Centre