A site for North Uist Medical practice.">North Uist Medical Practice

Mobile phone text service now live.

I have now set up a system in the practice to allow our patients to be notified by text for important health reminders.

Just like our online services, patients would need to opt in to this – giving us their mobile number and signing a consent form that would give us permission to add them to our database.

Some possible uses would be to remind people that they are overdue medication reviews; that they need to attend for a blood test/smear test; or that an asthma/diabetic/hypertension clinic is coming up soon. The texts that we will send will be of a very general nature. We will not send actual blood results or specific medical information for example. Rest assured that this service is in addition to our normal communication pathways – we will not rely on text alone to contact you in relation to any important matter.

If you are interested in this service please pop in and speak to us. You can opt out at anytime if you feel it is being too intrusive – though i doubt patients would get much more than a handful of texts a year from us at the very most.

As ever – we will keep your details secure, but the onus will be on yourself to protect privacy at your end. You may wish to consider the chances of other people reading your texts for example – if this concerns you or you are worried about your ability to keep your phone secure then it may be best for you not to sign up at all.

E-Practice now online!

i am pleased to report that the online functionality of the site has been fully implemented. Sorry for the delay – this was due to circumstances outwith my control.

You can now order your repeat prescriptions, book appointments, get clinical advice or leave practice feedback through our online links. Check them out at the E-Practice page on the website.

Remember that if you wish to use these online features you must first fill in the necessary consent form.

This new service is aimed at improving practice links with our patients, and giving you more convenient access to our services. We would love to hear how you are getting on with the website through our feedback page. If you have any problems getting things working then we would be happy to help.

Chlamydia testing

This is a really important topic, particularly for the under 25s. Some of you may be aware that chlamydia is now the commonest sexually-transmitted disease in the country, particularly in the younger age groups. It is a particularly sneaky infection, as most people who have it don’t have any symptoms at all, but can go on to develop lasting damage, possibly even infertility – this is why we offer testing for chlamydia for anyone who is at risk, even those who have no symptoms.

If chlamydia is not treated,  it can go on to cause other problems such as pelvic infections and infertility (in women, but possibly also in men). Testing for the infection is very simple, and treatment is very effective (usually just a single dose of an antibiotic).  In men, we usually test for the infection with a urine sample, and in women we test with a vaginal swab (but you can take the swab yourself at home, so the embarrassment factor is low!)

We would encourage anybody who feels that they may be at risk of chlamydia to make an appointment with any of the doctors or with Angie the Practice Nurse (or phone us to discuss what is involved) – it is really very easy and well worth checking!

Defibrillator fund Bring and Buy

We are holding a bring and buy to raise funds for a new defibrillator for the Practice.  This event will take place on Friday 4th September 2009 at 7:30pm in Lochmaddy Hall.  Please come along and support us. Check out our poster if you like.