Patient Travel: Local services

What is the role of my General Practitioner (GP)?

The aim of your GP is to provide you with the medical care and support needed to keep you as well as possible, and to minimise pain or other symptoms.

As well as seeing you in the surgery, your GP may, if necessary, also see you at home.

Your GP will provide you with information about the progress of your illness, any medication that is needed, and psychological support.

Your doctor can provide a link with your hospital consultant if you have been treated in hospital and also with the local community nursing team, a range of local specialist nurses, hospice staff, and any other professional staff such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, etc.

Your GP will be guided by your own wishes regarding what treatment you want.

How do I contact my GP?

A doctor can be contacted at all times. If your own doctor is not available there will be one of a team of doctors who can help you. Most GPs now use NHS 24 for their out-of-hours service. Your Practice will have a practice leaflet with all the relevant information.

Can my relatives speak to my GP?

The doctor will discuss your care with your family, only if you agree.

WESTERN ISLES GP PRACTICES

Click here to view the full list of GP Practices within the Western Isles.

What is the Community Nursing Service

The Community Nursing Service consists of teams of staff nurses and nursing auxiliaries led by a Lead Nurse. Nurses work as a team so there is always someone available to look after you.

The Community Nursing staff are employed by NHS Western Isles. They work alongside other health care professionals such as doctors, a range of local specialist nurses, health visitors, practice nurses and community psychiatric nurses. They also work closely with Social Work and Home Care Services, provided by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

What does a Community Nurse do?

The aim of the Community Nursing Service is to help you and your family or carer cope with the effects of your illness, particularly when your illness stops you from being independent and being able to look after yourself. The service provides nursing care to children and adults of all ages and their carers in their own homes.

This may include care:

• for people who have a long term illness or disability such as stroke or multiple sclerosis
• for people who have come out of hospital after an operation or treatments
• at home to prevent people having to go into hospital
• for people who are terminally ill

Where will I see the Community Nurse?

Most often the Community Nurse will visit you at home; however, some Community Nurses hold clinics in the doctors surgery.

What will the Community Nurse need?

The Community Nurse may need somewhere to wash his/her hands and a safe place to keep nursing notes and dressings or equipment, etc.

What hours does the Community Nurse work?

The Community Nursing Service is available around the clock. During office hours you can reach a nurse by phoning your local health clinic. Outside office hours there is an evening and weekend on-call system. Your local health clinic will have those details.

How do I get to see other health care or social work professionals?

In discussion with you (and your family, friends or carers if appropriate), the Community  Nurse can arrange for additional help from a social worker, podiatrist, etc.

Can my relatives or carers speak to the Community Nurse?

If you are happy for your relatives or carers to discuss your care with the Community Nurse, the nurse will be happy to answer their questions.

How do I get to see a Community Nurse?

The GP or hospital staff may suggest that the Community Nurse would be of assistance to you. However, you or a relative or friend can contact the Community Nurses directly; your local health clinic can provide their contact numbers.

Click here to view the contact details for the Community Nursing Service.  Alternatively, in Lewis, Harris and Barra contact either your local health clinic or your GP surgery for the contact number of the Community Nurse.

What is the role of the Bethesda Hospice?

Bethesda is a hospice of high standard, based in Stornoway, and provides palliative and terminal care which focuses on quality of life and continuity of care.

What services does the Bethesda Hospice offer?

The Bethesda Hospice offers a range of palliative treatments in a homely environment, respite care for the relief of carers, and a major source of support to both the patient and relative in an atmosphere of openness and awareness.

They place emphasis on rehabilitation, and, where appropriate, a subsequent return to the patient’s own home. There are no clinical features about the hospice; much effort went into planning to ensure this.

Who can use Bethesda?

Anyone needing hospice care can be admitted. Referrals are made by hospital consultants, GPs, and a range of specialist nurses. Bethesda considers itself a quality care provider which seeks constantly to update and maintain standards. Bethesda belongs to the community and there is demand through patient and/or relative choice for admission.

How do I get help from Bethesda?

Please contact: Bethesda Care Home & Hospice, Springfield Road, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2PS.  Tel. 01851 706222, email: bethesdahospice@hotmail.com or visit www.bethesdahospice.co.uk

Will I have to pay for the services I receive at Bethesda?

There is no fee charged to the patient for hospice care.

Who are Crossroads?

Crossroads is a charity which provides home-based respite services to relieve those caring for a relative or friend in their own home. The service is normally provided free of charge.

In the Uists and Benbecula, Crossroads is known as Tagsa Uibhist. In Barra it is known as Cobhair Bharraigh.

What do Crossroads do?

The aim is to relieve the stress on carers, whether this is physical, mental or emotional, by allowing them free time from the responsibility of caring. The service is available on a regular or flexible basis, depending on the need, and is available during the day, evening, overnight and on weekends.

What help can Crossroads give?

Crossroads Care Attendants provide home care and respite care and can take referrals from Community Nurses and Macmillan Nurses. They undertake to carry out all tasks that a carer would usually carry out for you.

Care provided might include help with getting up or going to bed, washing, dressing, cooking and serving meals, help with feeding, playing board games, reading to the person being cared for, escorting the person being cared for to activities and when necessary, to travel to hospital.

What training are the Crossroads Care Attendants given?

They are trained in basic nursing care, first aid, health and safety, moving and handling, and have a basic knowledge of medical conditions. Staff have undertaken specific cancer training.

Currently Crossroads Care Attendants are receiving palliative care training through Crossroads and the Hospice Project.

Will I have to pay for the services I receive at Crossroads?

The service is normally provided free of charge.

CROSSROADS SERVICES

Crossroads Lewis

Grianan Day Centre
Westview Terrace
Stornoway
Isle of Lewis HS1 2LD
Tel. 01851 705422
Web: https://crossroadslewis.co.uk

Crossroads Harris

Tigh an Urrais
Tarbert
Isle of Harris
HS3 3DB
Tel. 01859 502171 or 0730 507 8815
Web: https://www.crossroadsisleofharris.co.uk

Tagsa Uibhist

East Camp
Isle of Benbecula
HS7 5LA
Tel. 01870 602111
Web: https://www.tagsauibhist.co.uk

Cobhair Bharraigh

Kentangaval
Castlebay
Isle of Barra
HS9 5XL
Tel. 01871 810906
Email: cobhairbharraigh@btconnect.com
Web: https://crossroads-scotland.co.uk/contact/service/cobhair-bharraigh

What does the Macmillan Nurse do?

Macmillan Nurses are qualified nurses with specialist qualifications and skills in cancer care.

Their role is to support patients and their families through diagnosis and treatment. They also advise on aspects of care when treatment is for comfort and not cure, which is known as palliative care. You can have access to hospital-based Macmillan Nurses at Raigmore Hospital or community-based Macmillan Nurses who work locally as members of your primary health care team.

Macmillan Nurses also see people who do not have cancer, but are dealing with other chronic illnesses such as motor neurone disease, end-phase cardiac disease, and multiple sclerosis. The Macmillan Nurses help with symptom control and provide palliative care.

The Macmillan Nurse is available to patients from diagnosis onwards. This may be for:

• information relating to diagnosis and treatment options
• advice on physical symptom management
• psychological, emotional and social support for patients and their families
• bereavement support for families known to the Macmillan Nurse
• financial advice, such as helping you access any benefits you may be eligible for Macmillan Cancer Relief patient grants are available for a variety of financial needs.

How do I get to see a Macmillan Nurse?

If you are in hospital, and the staff in your ward or clinic have not already offered you the services of a Macmillan Nurse, then you can ask to see one.

If you meet the Macmillan Nurse in hospital, it does not mean that you will automatically be visited by a Macmillan Nurse when you are at home. If you are at home and wish to see a Macmillan Nurse, you may contact them directly (phone numbers are listed at the back of this booklet), or you may ask your GP or Community Nurse to do so on your behalf. However, you can still make contact with the hospital Macmillan Nurse by telephone if you wish. The choice is yours.

Should you go back into hospital, please remember that the hospital Macmillan Nurse may not be aware that you are in. If you want a visit, ask the staff to let her know you are there.

What hours does the Macmillan Nurse work?

Both hospital-based and community-based Macmillan Nurses work Monday to Friday during normal office hours.

Some nurses may only work part-time and they are often out of the office visiting patients. However, there is always an answering machine where you can leave a message and they will get back to you on their return. If you are at home and the matter is urgent it is best to contact your GP.

Where will I see the community-based Macmillan Nurse?

The community-based Macmillan Nurse will usually visit at your home but it is also possible to meet at another mutually convenient place.

What is NHS 24?

NHS 24 is a telephone health advice and information service. It offers a confidential, 24-hour a day nurse consultation service for the cost of a local phone call.

It enables people to talk directly to highly qualified and experienced nurse advisors who provide advice and information on health and health services.

What will the NHS 24 Nurse Advisor do?

The nurse advisor will ask you about your symptoms. They will make an assessment and tell you what you should do next. The nurse advisor might suggest that you treat yourself at home, visit a chemist, visit a doctor, or go to an accident and emergency unit.

Will NHS 24 get me an ambulance if I need one?

You should dial 999 if someone is seriously ill, for example, if they have severe bleeding or severe chest pain, or if they have collapsed.

However, NSH 24 has direct links with the Scottish Ambulance Service and, in appropriate situations, can arrange for an ambulance to get you to hospital.

What is the difference between NHS 24’s daytime and night-time services?

During the day: If you call NHS 24 when your GP practice is open, you will receive a full nurse consultation. You may then be told to contact your GP for further assessment. NHS 24 will not make an appointment for you or tell you who you will see or talk to at your general practice.

At night: When your GP practice is closed and you need urgent medical advice, one of the NHS 24 nurse advisors will assess your symptoms. If your GP practice is a member of a GP out-of-hours service linked with NHS 24, and you need to see a doctor, the nurse advisor will arrange this for you. If your GP practice is not a member of a GP out-of-hours service that is linked to NHS 24, the nurse advisor will ask you to contact your own GP out-of-hours service at the end of the consultation.

Is NHS 24 a confidential service?

All calls to NHS 24 are confidential and they follow the same regulations regarding patient confidentiality as all other parts of the NHS.

To provide consistent care, relevant patient information may be passed to other parts of the NHS. When you call NHS 24, they will ask you to agree to your information being shared. They record all the calls made to them for patient safety and to improve services.

If I am just not sure what to do, can I call NHS 24?

NHS 24 nurse advisors are experienced and fully qualified nurses. You can contact them at any time of the day or night, and they will be able to talk to you about your health problem. NHS 24 health information advisors will be able to give you information about all sorts of health issues and direct you to other organisations and sources of advice.

How do I contact NHS 24?

By dialing freephone 111.