Clinics & Services

Douglas Street Treatment Room

Lanarkshire Health Board provides treatment room services through a single, central clinic located in Douglas Street, Hamilton. All treatment room care such as stitch removal, ear syringing, dressings, injections and wound care is provided through this site. The telephone number for the Douglas Street Clinic is (01698) 754989.

Contraceptive Services

All our doctors and Practice Nurse provide contraceptive advice and this can be discussed at any routine appointment. 

Alternatively, you can contact the Lanarkshire Family Planning/Sexual Health clinic. Their website is https://www.lanarkshiresexualhealth.org/ and appointments can be booked online or by phone on 0300 303 0251. 

Chronic Disease Clinic

People suffering from Diabetes, Heart Disease, Strokes, Epilepsy, Asthma or Chronic Bronchitis (COPD) – will be invited a minimum of annually to a check-up clinic.  This is an important way of checking up on the management of these important conditions.

An assessment will be made of height, weight, blood pressure and, where appropriate, specific breathing or blood tests.

Carers

At the Practice we keep a register of any patients who may care for a family member this enables us to offer any advice required.  We also offer ‘Health Assessments where you make a routine appointment are given a basic Health Check including BP, Height, Weight etc.  If you suffer from Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Asthma, COPD or Epilepsy you can make a Chronic Disease appointment.                                                                                                                                   

Immunisations

NHS Lanarkshire now provides the immunisation/vaccination service and you will be contacted by them.  The Practice no longer holds any vaccines.

Cervical Smear Clinic

Appointments for Cervical Smears can be booked with our Practice Nurse. In Scotland, women are called for smears between the ages of 25 and 64 years.  You will receive an invitation through the post and we would strongly encourage you to attend.  For more information please see https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/screening/cervical-screening-smear-test

Urine Samples

It is now practice policy that we do not accept urine samples unless they have been requested by the doctor or the nurse.  Reception staff will ask you why you are handing in the sample.

Women aged over 16 years who are NOT allergic to TRIMETHOPRIM should attend the pharmacy to obtain treatment for a urine infection.

All other women, including those who are pregnant, men and children will require an appointment and will be managed by the practice.

Travel Vaccinations

Travel vaccinations are  no longer provided by GPs. 

If you are going abroad on holiday or on business please now go to www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below: 

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Caribbean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

Travelling in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website.

Non-NHS (Private) Services and Charges

Why do GPs charge fees?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge but there are exceptions such as NHS dental fees. The NHS does not provide medical reports for insurance companies, claims on private health insurance and other letters and forms which require the doctor to review the patient’s medical records.

GPs are not employed by the NHS. The NHS pays the doctor for specific NHS work but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the doctor’s costs. As the doctors are self-employed, their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, printing, paper etc. – must be covered in the same way as any small business.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge patients:

• Private medical insurance reports
• HGV licenses and DVLA forms
• Holiday cancellation forms
• Letters requested by, or on behalf, of a patient
• Firearm license form

You will be informed of our fee before we carry out any non-NHS work.

How long should I allow for the work to be done?

Please allow up to 28 days for the work to be completed. The practice has a substantial volume of non-NHS work to complete weekly and it is all done in addition to the NHS work and hours. An additional charge may be levied for more urgent requests.

I only need the doctor’s signature – why do I have to wait?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, they have to take time to review the patient’s records first. Some forms, such as an initial gun license, require the GP to review the medical records from birth to present day. Each doctor must also pay a three to four figure sum for indemnity each year, a significant proportion of which is solely to cover the completion of these non-NHS documents. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

Non-NHS Work We Cannot Provide

There are some services that we are unable to provide, as we do not have any specialist training, knowledge or indemnity in the area.  Examples of these include:

• Fitness to fly forms
• Fitness to fly in pregnancy forms/letters
• Fitness to participate in sporting events eg marathon/ultra-runs/sky-diving/similar
• Countersigning passport applications
• Diving medicals/sports medicals
• Seatbelt exemption forms
• Power of attorney assessment of capacity - please contact your solicitor

GP Training

Portland Park Medical Centre is proud to be an accredited training practice. This means we train GP Speciality Trainee (GPST) doctors in conjunction with NHS Education for Scotland.

A GPST is a fully qualified, GMC-registered doctor who has chosen to pursue a career in General Practice.  They will typically have at least two years of experience in hospital posts (though many have more than this) prior to entering the training programme. 

The GP training programme is currently 3 years long and involves 18 months in hospital posts, gaining experience that will help in General Practice, and 18 months in the Practice:

- ST1 - 6 months in practice and 6 months in hospital

- ST2 - two 6 month hospital posts

- ST3 - the final year in General Practice

At any time we will have at least one of our GP Trainees working with us - usually an ST1 and an ST3.  You may be given an appointment with one of our GP trainees.  They are fully supported in their role, and under the supervision of GP Trainers within the Practice, who conduct regular assessment and review of their progress.  The three GP Trainers in the practice are Dr Kirkland, Dr Pacitti and Dr Chapman.

As part of their training, our GP Trainees are required to record some consultations by video. This is for educational purposes only and your consultation will only be recorded with your express written permission. At the end of the consultation you will be asked again if you are happy for the consultation recording to be kept and used by the trainee and their supervisor for learning purposes. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Please be assured that your confidentiality will be maintained at all times. There is no obligation for a patient to agree to a consultation being recorded and this will not affect your care if you do not wish to participate. 

From time to time all the doctors in the practice will require some feedback from patients as part of their training and ongoing professional appraisal - this includes the trainees.  We would appreciate our patients participating in this if they are asked to do so.

Our current trainees are:

Dr Rebecca Snyder - ST3, currently in Portland Park Medical Centre                  

Dr Matthew Little - ST3, currently in Portland Park Medical Centre 

Dr Kieran Corrigan - ST2, currently in hospital posts

Dr Joshua Waddell - ST2, currently in hospital posts

Dr Fraser Bell- ST1, currently in Portland Park Medical Centre

The Trainees are very much part of our team and it is a privilege to be involved in training GPs of the future. We hope that you join us in making them feel welcome at Portland Park Medical Centre!

Practice Policy Library 

For more information on our missed appointments policy, please visit the following document: 

Missed appointments Policy