NHS Shetland is advising patients that improvement works will take place at the Walk-In Clinic at Grantfield during September. The works will take place over three weekends, with the Walk-In Clinic temporarily relocating to the Outpatients Department at Gilbert Bain Hospital during this period.
The Walk-In Clinic will operate at Grantfield as usual this Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August from 9am – 5pm. Services will continue to run at Grantfield from Monday 31 August until Thursday 3 September, from 5pm-8pm, however, the clinic will be closed on Friday 4 September. The Vaccination Team will operate from Grantfield until 5pm on Friday 4 September.
During the works, the Walk-In Clinic will operate from the Outpatients Department at the Gilbert Bain Hospital from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September. Evening clinics will also take place from Monday 7 September, from 5pm to 8pm.
The temporary clinic will continue to operate from the Outpatients Department over the following two weekends, Saturday 12 September and Sunday 13 September, and Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, before reopening at Grantfield on Tuesday 22 September.
Following completion of the works, the service is expected to return to evening opening hours (5pm to 8pm) and weekend opening hours (9am to 5pm) that week.
The works at Grantfield will include the addition of a new toilet, an additional clinic room and a number of other improvements designed to enhance the service for patients.
As the pilot service continues to develop, opening days and times may occasionally vary. Patients are encouraged to check the NHS Shetland website and NHS Shetland social media channels for the latest updates.
Since opening in May, the service has seen, on average, around 54 patients each weekend, with most patients being seen within half an hour. The service has also seen an average of 10 patients during the evenings throughout the week.
The Walk-In Clinic is available to all patients in Shetland, including those who are not registered with a local GP practice. Visitors to Shetland can also use the service.
Patients attending the clinic can receive same-day assessment for urgent, non-life-threatening conditions that would normally be managed in primary care. This includes new or acute symptoms such as pain, rashes, fever and infections.
Patients using the clinic may be seen by either a GP or an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
The service is not intended for emergency care, ongoing management of long-term conditions, repeat prescriptions, medication reviews, minor injuries, administrative requests or specialist care. Patients whose needs fall outside the scope of the service will be directed to the most appropriate service.
Please note that repeat prescriptions cannot be ordered at the Walk-In Clinic. Repeat prescriptions should be requested from your usual GP practice during the week. If patients have run out of medication, they should speak to their local pharmacy about an emergency supply.
From Monday 7 September, the Vaccination Team will contact patients directly to book appointments. The team will provide further information regarding the location and time. To discuss an appointment, the team can be contacted on: 01595 743 319 or shet.vaccination-team@nhs.scot
Dr Deepa Shah said: “We appreciate the public’s patience while these improvements are carried out. The changes at Grantfield will help us improve both the environment and capacity of the Walk-In Clinic as the service continues to develop.
“The renovation work will also allow us to fully co-locate with the Vaccination Team, providing improved clinic spaces and facilities for both patients and staff.
“While the work is underway, we would encourage patients to continue using the Walk-In Clinic if they need to. The temporary service at the Outpatients Department will provide the same service during the three-weekend relocation period.
“We would also encourage patients to check the NHS Shetland website and social media channels for the latest information on the temporary arrangements and opening times.”
More information can be found on our website: NHS Shetland Walk-In Clinic – NHS Shetland