Opening times, making appointments and what to do when we are closed

Fort William Health Centre
Camaghael
Fort William
PH33 7AQ
Tel: 01397 703136

News:

Announcements

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

UK radiotherapy 'lagging behind'

Too few UK cancer patients are receiving state-of-the-art radiotherapy care, experts from Cancer Research UK say.

ME 'virus link' found in children

ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in children could be caused by a virus, scientists say.

Gaps persist in cancer survival

Despite significant improvements in cancer survival rates across England, regional differences remain, national statistics show.

'Genetic link' to breast cancer

Researchers have identified a series of genetic variations which may play a role in a common breast cancer.

Bipolar 'not linked to violence'

People with a mental illness are no more likely to be violent unless they abuse drugs or alcohol, a study suggests.

NHS in Wales faces £380m cutbacks

The Welsh NHS faces making £380m worth of cutbacks by April, with managers saying it is the biggest challenge they have faced in 20 years.

Diabetes drug advice 'not heeded'

A type two diabetes drug is still being prescribed in the UK two months after it was recommended for withdrawal, BBC Panorama learns.

Junior medics 'leaving training'

Nearly one in four junior doctors drop out of their NHS training after two years, figures show.

Gum and heart link 'breakthrough'

Scientists say they have established one reason why gum disease may increase the risk of heart disease.

Reading Arabic 'hard for brain'

Israeli scientists believe they have identified why Arabic is particularly hard to learn to read.

Yahoo Health

FDA relents from midodrine withdrawal plan (AP)

AP - Federal regulators have backed off a plan to remove a Shire PLC low blood-pressure treatment from the market after warning in August that the drug has not been proven effective.

Japan confirms its first case of new superbug gene (AP)

AP - Japan has confirmed the nation's first case of a new gene in bacteria that allows the microorganisms to become drug-resistant superbugs, detected in a man who had medical treatment in India, a Health Ministry official said Tuesday.

Picking right blood pressure medicine challenging (AP)

AP - It's hard to predict which pills will best lower which patient's high blood pressure, but researchers are hunting ways to better personalize therapy — perhaps even using a blood test.

Cholera outbreak in Cameroon 'worst in 20 years' (AP)

AP - UNICEF says more than 300 people have died in the West African nation of Cameroon from the country's worst cholera outbreak in 20 years.

WHO wants faster, more flu vaccine production (AP)

CVS employee Mambo Muntanga, left, receives a flu shot from nurse practitioner Susan Brown, Friday, Aug. 27, 2010, in Rockville, Md. It's flu-shot season again, and for the first time health authorities are urging nearly everyone to get vaccinated — and people 65 or older even can choose to try a new high-dose version. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AP - The vaccine used to contain the recent swine flu pandemic was effective, but health authorities will need to ramp up the speed and volume of production during the next global outbreak, a World Health Organization official said Monday.

Expert warns of complacency after swine flu fizzle (AP)

Robert Webster, chairman of the Department of Virology and Molecular Biology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., attends the Options for the Control of Influenza conference in Hong Kong Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010 in Hong Kong. Webster urged health authorities around the world to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadlier than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

AP - A leading virus expert urged health authorities around the world Sunday to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadly than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak.

Long-term weight loss may be harmful to health (Reuters)

Reuters - Long-term weight loss may release into the blood industrial pollutants linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers said on Tuesday.

For Bonobo Males, Mom Is the Best Wingman (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - To most human males, the thought of your mother anywhere near your sex life is probably horrifying. Not so for the bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives. A new study confirms that hanging out with mom boosts male bonobos' chances of getting intimate with a fertile female.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 3, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Keep Health in Mind When Planning School Day Menus (HealthDay)

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- As parents prepare for their children's return to school, they need to remember that healthy meals and snacks are essential for learning.

MedPage Today

Consumer Reports Ranks Bypass Surgery Centers

(MedPage Today) -- The group responsible for Consumer Reports on everything from vacuums to cars today released a report card for CABG outcomes at roughly 20% of the nation's cardiac surgery centers.

Malpractice Costs Add Less Than 3% to Nation's Healthcare Tab

(MedPage Today) -- Costs associated with medical malpractice added about $55.6 billion to the nation's total health care costs in 2008 -- roughly 2.4% of a more than $2.3-trillion tab -- and most of that money went to pay for tests, procedures, and treatments associated with defensive medicine, according to an analysis by Harvard researchers.

Sitting at Work Not Hazardous to Your Health (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Adverse health outcomes including cancer and cardiovascular disease can't be blamed on prolonged occupational sitting, at least not until additional clarifying research is done, a systematic review concluded.

Low-Carb Diet is Better When Rich in Veggies (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Eating a low-carbohydrate diet in which more fat and protein sources come from plants than animals may be protective against death, researchers say.

Parental Depression Common After Birth of Children (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- More than a third of mothers and a fifth of fathers experienced at least one episode of depression in the 12 years after the birth of a child, British researchers found.

'Magic Mushrooms' Possible Tx in End-Stage Cancer (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- The active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" -- psilocybin -- may be useful to treat the anxiety and stress associated with end-stage cancer, researchers suggest.

Nonstick Cookware May Raise Kids' Cholesterol (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Kids who eat food cooked in nonstick pots and pans may have higher levels of LDL cholesterol, a large cross-sectional study found.

Males at Greater Risk of Cognitive Impairment (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Mild cognitive impairment may be more common in men than in women, a new study shows.

Childhood Obesity Woes Linked to Too Little Sleep (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Late bedtimes may exact a hefty price by contributing to childhood obesity, results of a prospective longitudinal study showed.

Investigation Reveals More Woes for Rosiglitazone

On July 15 (MedPage Today) -- a day after the FDA completed two days of hearings on rosiglitazone (Avandia) -- a British advisory commission on drugs concluded that the product should be withdrawn from the market, according to an investigation conducted by BMJ.

Opening Hours

Appointments

Home Visits

Surgery Opening Hours

	Morning	Afternoon
Monday	08:00 - 13:00	13:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 13:00	13:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 13:00	13:00 - 18:00
Thursday	08:00 - 13:00	13:00 - 18:00
Friday	08:00 - 13:00	13:00 - 18:00
Saturday	closed	closed

Surgery Consulting Hours

Monday to Friday:

9.00am - 12.30pm
2.15pm - 5.15pm

Evening Surgeries

6.00pm - 8.15pm* (variable days)

* One evening surgery per week

HOW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

doc baby Appointments can be made by telephoning or calling in at Reception, between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Pre-bookable appointments are available a few weeks in advance. It is usually possible to get an appointment with a named doctor or nurse within 7 working days and any doctor within 48 hours.

EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS

If you feel that you have a problem which needs to be dealt with the same day please ring the surgery and inform the receptionist that you wish to be seen the same day. We have a Duty Doctor available each day who is responsible for dealing with home visits, emergency appointments (where there are no bookable appointments left) and advice over the telephone. Please use this service responsibly.

EVENING SURGERIES

We hold 1 evening surgery per week from 6.00pm to 8.15pm. These appointments are intended for patients who are unable to attend during the day.

It is important to note that these appointments are not for emergencies and the Out of Hours Service will operate as normal. The surgery telephone number will continue to be diverted to NHS24 at 6pm every evening.

One surgery will be held per week (days may vary), from 6pm to 8.15pm. As these surgeries are outwith normal working hours, there will be certain limitations on the service that can be provided. For example, we are unable to carry out blood tests, cervical smears and certain other procedures.

If you have any queries, please clarify with the receptionist at the time of booking your appointment.

HOW TO REQUEST A HOME VISIT BETWEEN: 8.00am & 6.00pm

On average, seeing you at home takes four times as long for the Doctor, as seeing you in the surgery. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.

contact us If however you are housebound because of illness or disability and require a home visit it would be most helpful to telephone the surgery before 9.30am. Visit requests after this time make it more difficult for the Doctors to plan their rounds and this may cause some delay.

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS 24