NHS Shetland is marking six months since the launch of its Walk-In Clinic.
NHS Shetland is marking six months since the launch of its Walk-In Clinic, which has supported the community and visitors with alternative ways of accessing urgent primary care since opening as a pilot service in May.
Funded by the Scottish Government, the Walk-In Clinic was introduced to offer same-day care for urgent but non-life-threatening health concerns that would normally be managed in primary care. These include new or acute symptoms such as infections, rashes, pain, urinary tract infections and fever.
The service initially opened at weekends and on public holidays. In August, it expanded to include weekday evenings from 5pm to 8pm. Opening hours were extended further in October, with the clinic now open from 12pm to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm at weekends.
Based at Grantfield, opposite the Toll Clock Shopping Centre in Lerwick, the clinic has proved convenient for people. Since opening, an average of around 46 patients have attended each weekend, with a total of 342 patients (as of 23 October) since the introduction of extended weekday opening hours.
Despite periods of high demand, patients typically wait 19 minutes, helping ensure timely access to urgent primary care.
Patient feedback has highlighted the value of having access to urgent care outside normal working hours, with many people commenting on the convenience of being able to attend without needing to take time off work, or being close to where they work or live.
One patient said: "This is a great service as it means I don't need to fit an appointment into my working day or around my child."
Another commented: "Excellent service and very convenient to just be able to drop in."
Others described the service as "great", "very convenient" and praised the friendly, professional care they received, with one patient saying they were "seen quickly, given the treatment needed and everyone from the front desk to the GP was absolutely lovely and helpful."
Dr Deepa Shah, Clinical Lead for the Walk-In Clinic, said: "We're pleased to reach this six-month milestone and to see the impact the Walk-In Clinic is making for people in Shetland. The response from people has been extremely encouraging, and we've received a great deal of positive feedback about both the convenience of the service and the care provided by the team members.
"The service was created to complement and provide another route to urgent primary care for people who need same-day advice or treatment, particularly outside traditional health centre opening hours. We have managed to support people to access the right service, too. A small number of people have attended who need support for management of long-term conditions, repeat prescriptions, medication reviews, sick notes, referrals or healthcare needs. In these cases, we have directed them to their GP practice, which is best placed to provide that care.
"Some people could have also received the service they needed at one of our community pharmacies and some would have been better placed seeing their usual GP surgery team. We will continue to work with people to support them to access the right care from the right place.
“I am grateful for the support and effort of colleagues across our services, including our GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, practice managers and administrative teams. I'd like to thank our colleagues in the Vaccination Team, Dementia Team, Pharmacy, the Estates team, and other services, whose support has helped the service continue to develop.
“Recent improvements to the space available in the building, including an improved toilet facility, have helped improve the experience for patients. I'd also like to thank our colleagues in Outpatients at the Gilbert Bain Hospital and the wider community for their patience during our temporary relocation in September while these works were completed."
The Walk-In Clinic is available to everyone in Shetland, including people who are not registered with a local GP practice, as well as visitors to the islands, and offshore workers.
NHS Shetland continues to encourage people to consider which service is best suited to their needs. Community pharmacies can provide advice and treatment for a range of common conditions, while NHS inform provides advice on managing many minor illnesses at home.
People whose needs are more appropriately managed by their GP practice or the Emergency Department may be directed to those services.
The Walk-In Clinic shares the Grantfield building with NHS Shetland's Vaccination Team, allowing both services to operate from the same site. While this arrangement works well, the shared waiting room is relatively small and can become busy at times. Patients may therefore need to wait before being seen. Where possible, anyone accompanying a patient is asked to wait outside the building or return later to help ensure enough space is available for those attending appointments and the Walk-In Clinic.
As the pilot continues, NHS Shetland will be using evaluation findings to help shape the future of the service, ensuring it works effectively alongside existing GP services while providing the best balance of patient access and flow, workforce sustainability and funding.
Discussions regarding future funding remain ongoing, with decisions on longer-term funding arrangements to be made by the Scottish Government following evaluation of the pilot service.
Opening days and times may occasionally vary. Patients are encouraged to check the NHS Shetland website and social media channels for the latest information before attending.
Further information, including opening hours and guidance on when to use the Walk-In Clinic, is available on the NHS Shetland website. NHS Shetland Walk-In Clinic – NHS Shetland
Read more on the NHS Inform website - Walk-in services | NHS inform