Consult a Doctor or Healthcare Professional

A range of common illnesses such as cold and flu and minor injuries can be treated at home simply by combining a well-stocked medicine cabinet with plenty of rest.

Examples of the ailments best treated by yourself are:

• Upset stomach
• Grazed knee
• Common cold
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Colds & Flu

There is a wide variety of helpful Self Care information and resources which could help you to treat your illness without the need for an appointment:

Visit a pharmacy for healthcare advice without an appointment

Your local pharmacist is able to help with minor cuts, sprains, aches and pains, colds and flu, headaches, rashes, cystitis, emergency contraceptive (most pharmacies now offer this service) and other common conditions.

Everyone can go to their pharmacist for advice or to buy a medicine for a minor illness or ailment. This is a NHS service. It means that if your pharmacist thinks you need it then they can give you a medicine on the NHS. It will also save you making an appointment with your GP simply to get a prescription.

Treat Yourself Better

We support the campaign to encourage people to self-treat minor ailments such as colds and flu. The Treat Yourself Better Without Antibiotics website is full of information to help people understand when how long they can expect their symptoms to last for, when they need to see a doctor and when they would be better off visiting their local pharmacist for advice. 

No appointment is necessary and your local pharmacist is open late, is available at weekends and many public holidays.

Who do I see?

Provides you with information and supporting links for treatments for some of the most common conditions, services, or most suitable healthcare professional that you should see. Who do I see?, will signpost you to the most appropriate help and care.

Social care and health information is available from South Lanarkshire Council. There are lots of services which offer help and support to improve your quality of life and allow you to continue to live in your own home. For example, if you are elderly or disabled, have a long-term health condition or are unwell. However, it can sometimes be confusing to try to work out what help is available and who offers what services.

Welcome to our ‘Meet the Experts’ guide to the range of services that local healthcare professionals across Lanarkshire can provide.

You can go directly to the right healthcare professional for the help you need when you need it, without having to see your GP first or face a lengthy wait in A&E.

NHS Lanarkshire provides a range of health services that you can contact directly for help, without going through your GP.

Our self-referral services give patients a direct route to the health professional best placed to help them.

For dental emergencies, call the dentist with whom you are registered. You should receive a recorded message advising you of the arrangements that have been made for emergency cover. If you have not registered with a dentist, please try to do so as soon as possible. Dentist’s can perform an appropriate assessment and advise on necessary intervention including use of any antibiotics.

Advice and information is available by calling the Dental Advice Helpline.

However, if you remain unregistered and you require emergency treatment, you should contact NHS 24 on 111

Dental emergencies are: acute dental pain, facial or oral swelling, bleeding from the mouth or trauma.

Community Optician

Whatever your eye problem your first port of call should be an optometrist. An optometrist is the best person to assess urgent eye problems, check for eye disorders and treat eye conditions. They have the professional training and necessary equipment to assess most eye problems.

Lanarkshire Eye Health Care Network Scheme (LENS)

Optometrists offer an appointment and assessment service for any eye condition for which you would normally see your GP. 

To find out where your nearest LENS optometrist is visit www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk or call the NHS Lanarkshire General Enquiry Line on 0300 3030 243  Monday to Thursday 9.00am – 5.00pm & Friday 9.00am – 4.30pm for further information on how to access the service.

Find a local optician in your area, (Once you are linked to the NHS Inform page- select your local Health Board or local Authority to find an optician nearest you).

Self-help guide: Eye problems

Find out more about your eye problems, when you can use self-care, and what to do if your condition worsens and you need medical help

If your optician is closed and you can’t wait until it reopens call NHS24 on 111.

If you sustain an eye injury that requires immediate emergency treatment go to your nearest Accident and Emergency.

Breathing Space was launched in 2002 to address serious concerns about the mental wellbeing of people in Scotland. The service became a national phoneline in 2004.

Breathing Space complements the work of other phonelines and agencies which are endeavouring to reduce suicide rates in Scotland.

Our advisors come from a range of mental health, counselling and social work backgrounds. There is an equal ratio of male to female advisors, who may be part-time or full-time. Breathing Space is not a volunteer service.

Need help now? Call free on 0800 83 85 87

At Wishaw General Hospital – you will be cared for by midwives with medical facilities and doctors on hand if you need them.

Once you are pregnant please phone the number below to book your appointment.

Booking phone number: 01698 361100 ext 7890

Pregnancy and baby

Am I pregnant? What should I be eating? Is it normal to be this tired? How can I help my partner during labour? Whatever you want to know about getting pregnant, being pregnant or caring for your new baby, you should find it here. 

If heavily bleeding during your pregnancy, please attend your nearest Accident and Emergency Department.

We provide drop-in clinics for young people up to 20 years old, run by specially trained staff, adults and young people can use both drop-in and pre-booked appointments.

To make an appointment please call 0300 303 0251 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.45pm).

Call 111

Call 111 when we are closed to speak to an NHS professional on any urgent health or medical issue.

Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

If you have an emergency please call 999

Medical emergencies can include:

• loss of consciousness
• an acute confused state
• fits that aren’t stopping
• chest pain
• breathing difficulties
• severe bleeding that can’t be stopped
• severe allergic reactions
• severe burns or scalds

It’s important to use A&E only for serious injuries and major emergencies.

For everything else, Minor Injury Units, out – of -hours and your local pharmacy can also help.

Use your local minor injuries unit if you need medical treatment or advice which does not need a visit to A&E or a medical appointment.

Some examples of problems they deal with:

• sprains and strains
• suspected broken limbs
• minor head injuries
• cuts and grazes
• bites and stings
• minor scalds and burns
• ear and throat infections
• skin infections and rashes
• eye problems
• coughs and colds
• feverish illness in adults
• feverish illness in children
• abdominal pain
• vomiting and diarrhoea
• emergency contraception

How this Service Helps

The helpline is operated by the Musculoskeletal Advice and Triage Service (MATS) and is provided by fully trained call operators, nurses and physiotherapists.

This service can help by:

• finding out if you need to see a doctor
• providing key information and advice to help with your problem
• referring you to a physiotherapist or podiatrist if you need it

They can’t:

• arrange home visits – this should be arranged by your doctor
• book and manage your physiotherapy appointments

Call 0800 917 9390 (9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday).Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

Drop in Clinic

Hairmyres Hospital Drop-In Clinic for Acute-Low-Back-Pain (every Monday).

The Nurse Practitioner 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.

The nurse practitioners complement the service that we offer to you, our patients. Please be assured that a doctor’s appointment will always be available should you prefer but you may get an earlier appointment if you opt to consult the nurse practitioners.

See a Nurse about: blood pressure checks, warfarin clinic, ECG’s, cervical smears, dressings, family planning advice, contraceptives, minor injuries and ailments, ear care, immunisations, diabetes management, asthma care, COPD (heart) care, smoking cessation, removal of stitches and clips etc.

Call the surgery on 01355 225374 to arrange an appointment with a nurse.

Some patients, often those with complex and long-standing medical problems, may need an appointment with a doctor.