The service provides a combination of Walk-In and Booked Clinics. If you can, please phone to make an appointment as the Walk-In clinics have limited capacity.

Booked appointments can be made via Chalmers Sexual Health Centre
Tel: 0131 536 1070

Please note that there have been some changes made to clinic times:

Walk – In Clinics

Tuesday Evening Walk-In – Registration at 4.30pm
Friday Morning Walk-In – Registration at 9.00am

Booked Clinics

Tuesday Afternoon 1.00pm – 3.30pm Evening 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Thursday Afternoon/Evening 1.00pm – 7.00pm
Friday Morning 10.30am – 12.00pm Friday Afternoon 1.30pm – 3.00pm

Nurse Advice line at Chalmers Sexual Health Centre operates Monday – Friday 8.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30 – 4.00pm. Tel : 0131 536 1070

Online information is available from www.lothiansexualhealth.scot.nhs.uk

Claire has been a core member of the nursing team at Howden since 2004.

We would like to wish her all the best for the future!

For those entitled to an NHS funded vaccination, you will receive an invitation by post shortly.  We are planning to hold the bulk of our vaccination sessions in early October.

If you are not eligible for NHS flu vaccination, there are a number of local providers of private vaccinations:

Muriestson Health Centre (£15.00)

Ladywell Pharmacy

Boots The Chemist, Almondvale

Morrisons, Dedridge and Carmondean (£9.50)

Please contact these places directly for further details.

Anne Bell (Phlebotomist)

We would like to welcome our new phlebotomist, Anne Bell, who will be starting work in the practice on Monday 26

Her hours of work will be 9am – 1pm, Monday – Friday, and she will routinely be providing 10 minute appointments for venepuncture. In addition she will undertake any domiciliary venepuncture for housebound patients.

to make them in writing.

Delays often occur when requests are made verbally, as well as the tendency for errors with names and doses of medicines.

As a result we are moving to a Written-request only system from Monday 18th of July 2011.

The option to request your medication by telephone will no longer be available.

Please see our page on Repeat Prescriptions for more details about ordering in writing, by email, or through your pharmacy.

We are also changing our appointment availability. From 21^st March – 1^st April we will only be offering “Same day” appointments for those wishing to see a doctor or nurse.  You will need to contact the practice on the day you want to be seen, as you will not be able to book an appointment in advance. The open surgery will also be running as usual.

From 4^th April – 8^th April, we will have no access to your medical records.   Only an urgent on-the-day appointment service will be provided during this period. We would also suggest that any routine health issues are postponed until this period of change is complete.

Please be assured that our EMERGENCY on-call service will continue as normal throughout, but we would ask that you only use this service if you believe the care you require is medically urgent.

As our new system is phased in we will, towards the end of April, once more be able to offer you routine appointments that can be booked in advance.

Howden invited all of its eligible patients to be vaccinated in October, but we are aware some people did not take this up.

If you missed your opportunity in October, it is not too late to be vaccinated.  Please contact the practice to arrange your flu vaccination.

We welcome any constructive feedback on any of these developments.  There will be an option of moderated user comments on some of our news items as well!