Return of Extended Hours Clinics
We are pleased to inform you that our extended hours clinics have returned.
We are able to offer a variety of consultations on Tuesday PM’s until 6:30pm & Wednesday AM’s from 7:45am.
This will include our GP’s, Nurses & Health Care Assistants.
September 8th, 2022
National Breast Screening Programme
All eligible women aged between 50 and 70 registered with our practice will be sent an invitation letter from the breast screening service to attend for routine breast screening.
This is estimated to be starting from the 16th September 2022. Patients will be invited to attend a mobile unit in the car park of the Morrison’s Supermarket, Glasgow Road, Dumbarton, G82 1QZ.
Please note that invitation letters will now ask you to contact the breast screening centre to confirm if you will be attending your allocated appointment or if you need to re-schedule.
Further information regarding routine breast screening can be found here
Specific information for transgender participants can be found here
September 5th, 2022
New Phone Queueing System
August 17th, 2022
Hello’s & Goodbye’s
Our previous registrar (trainee GP) Dr Jasmin Gregory will be returning to the practice in August for the next part of her training. She will be with us for approximately 12 months. We wish her a warm welcome back to the practice.
That means we will be saying goodbye to our current registrar Dr Lucy Kinnell, who will be moving on to her next placement. We wish her the best of luck with the next part of her training.
We would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new Practice Nurse, Kathleen Fyfe. Kathleen will be starting with us during August. Her days in the practice will be Mondays/Tuesdays/Fridays.
August 3rd, 2022
Prescription Collection Timeline Guidance
Covid restrictions remain in place in Health Care and Community Pharmacy settings. Requests for prescribed medicines is higher than ever, and we and our Community Pharmacy colleagues are working hard to deliver this increased demand despite workforce challenges.
Our Community Pharmacy colleagues have updated their dispensing timeline as shown below and we have included our practices collection timelines:
- Repeat medication – Collection from Pharmacy – 5 working days from date of request.
- Repeat medication – Collection from GP practice – 2 working days from date of request.
- Non-Urgent medication issued from video/telephone consultation – Collection from pharmacy – 3 working days from date of consultation.
- Non-Urgent medication issued from video/telephone consultation – Collection from GP practice – Same day as consultation (Please allow minimum of 2 hours before collection).
- Urgent medication issued from video/telephone consultation – Collection from pharmacy (Subject to clinician authorising phone through to pharmacy) – 3 hours from the request being received/accepted by the pharmacy.
- Urgent medication issued from video/telephone consultation – Collection from GP practice – Same day (Timescale for collection agreed between patient and clinician).
Unfortunately as many as 84% of pharmacy staff have experienced verbal abuse during the pandemic, mostly in relation to unrealistic expectations about dispensing times.
Please keep the above timescales in mind when you require medication. Earlier expectations create avoidable pressure and disrupts the smooth running for all parties involved.
July 19th, 2022
Local Pharmacies – Weekend Opening Times
There have been changes to some of the local pharmacy weekend opening times. Some may be closing on Saturdays for the next few weeks or have altered weekend opening times.
Please keep this in mind when planning your medication collections and check in advance with your pharmacy of their weekend opening times.
July 14th, 2022
Glasgow Fair Holiday – Monday 18th July
Your GP surgery will be closed for the Glasgow Fair bank holiday on Monday 18th of July.
If you are in need of medical attention during this time, the Right Care, Right Place website is a great tool if you are unsure who to turn to.
If you find yourself short of your medication on this day, your local pharmacy openings are:
Mackies Pharmacy – 8 High Street, Dumbarton, Tel: 01389 762598 – 9:00am – 6:00pm
Well Pharmacy – 11 Dalvait Road, Balloch, Tel: 01389 752476 – 9:00am – 5:30pm
July 11th, 2022
Information on our telephone queuing system
Levenside are currently receiving a high volume of calls daily. Please note the current telephone system, installed in November 2020, does not have a queuing information service. We are unable to resolve this issue as to do so would come at a monetary cost to you, our patients. When you are given the option on our phone system to press 3 to book an appointment you will hear the phone ringing. You are now in a queue to speak to a Receptionist. Please be assured your call will be answered and that the phone ringing represents you being in a queue. We have 3 Receptionists answering calls every morning.
The Practice had no control over choosing the telephone system which has been installed across Dumbarton Health Centre and a complaint has been submitted to the Telecoms Manager.
June 15th, 2022