Taynuilt Medical Practice has around 5,200 patients registered across three surgeries in the villages of Connel, Taynuilt and Dalmally in Argyll, in western Scotland.  The area covered by the practice is both one of the most beautiful and largest in the UK at approximately 1,000 square miles from the head of Loch Creran to the north side of Loch Etive, Loch Awe side and Glen Orchy. 

Everyone registered with the Practice has equal access to appointments, home visits and emergency care regardless of where they live.

The practice holds a General Medical Services contract with NHS Highland to provide medical services.  The practice is part-dispensing, with dispensary services provided in Taynuilt Surgery. 

Any patient of the practice can consult at any of the three surgeries to suit geography, choice of doctor or nurse and time of day.  The practice is fully 'paper-lite' with the majority of clinical records electronic, so all three surgeries can access all patient records.  All sites are accessible to disabled patients.

Connel Surgery

History

Taynuilt Medical Practice has been established for many, many years and past doctors include Dr Donaldson (to 1969), Dr Bain (to 1975), Dr Corson (1969 to 1981) and Drs Mac (1975 to 1993) and Kate Armstrong (1976 to 2006).  There were originally separate doctors in each of the villages and over the years the surgeries have merged into one practice. 

Taynuilt Surgery

In the 1970's, Taynuilt surgery had the largest premises until the old surgery in Connel was extended.  The current Connel surgery was purpose-built and opened in 1999, incorporating a community coffee shop and hairdresser.

The Taynuilt surgery premises were upgraded in 2002.  Dalmally surgery opened in 2003 and was merged with Taynuilt Medical Practice in 2004.

Dalmally Surgery

Argyll scene photos courtesy of Steve Eccles ( www.seevis.co.uk ) and Dennis Hardley ( www.scotphoto.com )

GP Training - Information for doctors

A career in general practice is a rewarding and intellectually stimulating career that offers many professional and personal benefits.  General practice gives you the freedom to follow your passions, sub-specialise and virtually design the career that's right for you.  Whilst every GP practice is different, being a rural GP offers the opportunity to work in some stunning locations, whilst using a wide range of skills and being able to practise true continuity of care.  Work is more likely to be required in the pre-hospital and transfer environments and this requires extended skills such as emergency, intermediate and palliative care.  Living in a smaller community, with more on-call and reliance on healthcare professionals, brings specific challenges but can also offer fantastic levels of personal and professional satisfaction.

We have recently joined the North of Scotland Rural Track Programme.  This new and exciting programme runs over 4 years and includes a 6 month out of programme option.  More details can be found on the website http://www.northscotgptraining.org/ and for details of the North Deanery Programme please visit http://scotlandgptrainingprograms.blogspot.co.uk/p/rural-track-program.html

If you want to know more about becoming a GP and what it involves then please feel free to contact one of us here at the surgery.

USEFUL LINKS:

• UK National GP Recruitment Office
• NHS Careers Site - General practice
• RCGP "Becoming a GP"
• RuralGP.com

Information for patients

Taynuilt Medical Practice is a well established and recognised training practice having trained future GPs for over 25 years.  Doctors who are looking to acquire the specialist skills of a GP can be seconded to this practice.  ST3 doctors (Registrars) have passed their medical exams and are registered with the General Medical Council.  They will have worked for a minimum of three years in hospital and spend 12 months working with us (usually starting in August each year).  At the end of the year of their training the doctor has to be certified as fit to practice as a GP and they take specialty general practice exams in the same way that hospital doctors take exams to become specialists. 

We also have ST1 doctors who are just starting out on their GP training.  The benefits to patients come through the input of fresh ideas from these doctors to the practice and from the knowledge that your resident GPs are active in current medical and treatment developments.  In the long-term we hope that at least some of our trainees will come back to work in the area.

In addition to postgraduate GP training we also regularly take medical students from Aberdeen University.  They are usually in the last year or two of medical school and all their consultations are supervised.

From time to time we also have school pupils who might be interested in a career in medicine and are usually with us for a few days as part of their work experience.

As part of their training our trainees are asked to record their consultations by video.  This is then looked at along with the trainee and their supervisor as a learning experience.  Before a consultation is filmed we will seek your consent and if at any time you don't want to be recorded, or the consultation to be deleted, then please let your doctor know.  Videos are stored securely and only viewed by doctors for the purposes of teaching and improving our consultation skills.

The practice will be regularly assessed for its suitability for postgraduate training in general practice by the North of Scotland Deanery.  This process includes an inspection of medical records for quality, NOT content.  If you object to your record being seen for this process then you must let the Practice Manager know in writing so these notes can be withdrawn.

The trainer in our practice is Dr Fiona Shaw.

Where all are welcome 9.30 to 4.30 weekdays

The Coffee Shop within Connel Surgery is run and staffed by over 20 volunteers who give their time and services absolutely free.  Many new friendships have been made between the volunteers and also through meeting locals coming into the surgery.  They offer a friendly welcome to locals, patients, staff and travellers from across the UK as well as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  Visitors from other parts of the UK comment in the visitor book that they think it is a ‘brilliant’ asset and are going back to make suggestions to their local practice.

A number now make this a regular stop while in the area or on their way to the Ferry terminal in Oban. They know that not only can they get hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, scones, biscuits and ice cream, but through conversing they discover it can be like a ‘mini tourist centre’.  Information is exchanged between volunteers, locals and visitors alike on places of interest to visit, walks in the area as well as local amenities.  There is also the opportunity to meet up with people from Iceland to China and learn something of their culture.

In excess of £2,000 a year is donated to the Taynuilt Medical Practice Charitable Trust for new equipment across the three practice surgeries, e.g. wheelchairs and wheelchair access, defibrillator and blood pressure monitors to name a few of the purchases.  More information can be seen on the Charitable Trust section, and local Community groups can apply for funding to support and develop the service they provide.

Why not drop in for a cuppa and a chat next time you are passing or visiting the surgery or Pharmacy?

Diane McPhee opened her hairdressing salon Style 907 within Connel Surgery in March 2009.

The salon is open Monday – Friday from 9.00am until 5.30pm.

Telephone Number: 01631 710907

There is a pharmacy within Connel Surgery, offering all normal pharmaceutical services and a wide range of additional core services including:

Minor Ailments

A service for people, including children, who would not normally pay prescription charges that allows you to receive treatment from a Community Pharmacist without seeing a GP.

You can get advice and free treatment (if you need it) for minor ailments and complaints such as:

Acne; Athlete’s foot; Backache; Cold sores; Constipation; Cough; Diarrhoea; Earache; Hay fever; Haemorrhoids; Headache; Mouth ulcers; Head lice; Indigestion; Nasal congestion; Pain; Sore throat; Threadworms; Warts; Verrucae; Eczema; Allergies.

You do not have to make an appointment; just go along at a time that suits you. Your consultation will always be with a qualified Pharmacist. If you need a medicine or a product to treat your symptoms, they will give it to you free of charge. You will still have to see your GP if your Pharmacist suggests you should or you need a medicine that you can only get with a prescription from your GP.

Smoking Cessation

The pharmacy offers a smoking cessation support service, providing advice and smoking cessation products in order to help smokers successfully stop smoking.  The service is available to anyone aged 12 years or over.  The pharmacist will work with you to assess your circumstances and discuss setting a provisional quit date, as well as selecting and supplying appropriate Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).  You will be invited to attend the pharmacy to receive supplies of NRT over a 12 week period and ongoing support, normally be on a weekly basis. The service is user-friendly, non-judgemental, client-centred and fully confidential. 

To find out more about the smoking cessation service or to ask for support please contact Neil at the pharmacy.

Emergency Contraception

The pharmacy can provide free of charge emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) to any female client aged 13 years or over, within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse .  The pharmacist will take a history to make sure they can ensure the supply is appropriate, provide information on taking the medication and offer advice or referral to other services if necessary.  The service is user-friendly, non-judgemental and entirely confidential.

To access the emergency contraception service please contact the pharmacy.

Out of Hours - Pharmacy

If you need Pharmacy advice or medicines out of hours, call NHS 24 on Freephone 111

Pharmacy Contact Details

Pharmacist: Neil Robinson M.R.Pharm.S., B.Sc.Pharm.

The Surgery, Connel. PA37 1PH  Tel: 01631 710 905

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 to 12:45 and 13:45 to 17.30

Dalmally Pharmacy is situated a short distance from the surgery in the village of Dalmally, offering all normal pharmaceutical services and a wide range of additional core services including:

Minor Ailments

A service for people, including children, who would not normally pay prescription charges that allows you to receive treatment from a Community Pharmacist without seeing a GP.

You can get advice and free treatment (if you need it) for minor ailments and complaints such as:

Acne; Athlete’s foot; Backache; Cold sores; Constipation; Cough; Diarrhoea; Earache; Hay fever; Haemorrhoids; Headache; Mouth ulcers; Head lice; Indigestion; Nasal congestion; Pain; Sore throat; Threadworms; Warts; Verrucae; Eczema; Allergies.

You do not have to make an appointment; just go along at a time that suits you. Your consultation will always be with a qualified Pharmacist. If you need a medicine or a product to treat your symptoms, they will give it to you free of charge. You will still have to see your GP if your Pharmacist suggests you should or you need a medicine that you can only get with a prescription from your GP.

Smoking Cessation

The pharmacy offers a smoking cessation support service, providing advice and smoking cessation products in order to help smokers successfully stop smoking.  The service is available to anyone aged 12 years or over.  The pharmacist will work with you to assess your circumstances and discuss setting a provisional quit date, as well as selecting and supplying appropriate Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).  You will be invited to attend the pharmacy to receive supplies of NRT over a 12 week period and ongoing support, normally be on a weekly basis. The service is user-friendly, non-judgemental, client-centred and fully confidential. 

To find out more about the smoking cessation service or to ask for support please contact Neil at the pharmacy.

Emergency Contraception

The pharmacy can provide free of charge emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) to any female client aged 13 years or over, within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse .  The pharmacist will take a history to make sure they can ensure the supply is appropriate, provide information on taking the medication and offer advice or referral to other services if necessary.  The service is user-friendly, non-judgemental and entirely confidential.

To access the emergency contraception service please contact the pharmacy.

Out of Hours - Pharmacy

If you need Pharmacy advice or medicines out of hours, call NHS 24 on Freephone 111

Pharmacy Contact Details

Pharmacist:  Isma Yaqoob

Dalmally Pharmacy, Dalmally, Argyll.  PA33 1AX 

Phone 01838 200 465

Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09:00 to 13: 00 and 14:00 to 17.00

                                             Wednesday 09.00 to 13.00  Saturday 09.00 to 12.30