St. Andrews Health Centre, Fife

Drs Drs Tait, Mathewson, Thomson, Milne, Graham & Nixon
Health Centre
68 Pipeland Road
St Andrews, Fife KY16 8JZ
Tel: (01334) 476840
Fax: (01334) 466516
 email (Dr Tait): hamish.tait@gp21811.fife-hb.scot.nhs.uk

This practice is one of three sharing a Health Centre situated in the centre of St Andrews, and has been an established training practice since 1984.  There are six partners, 3 full-time and 3 part-time, responsible for a patient list of approximately 9,000.  This figure includes one third of the students attending St Andrews University.

Ancillary staff in the practice consists of one Practice Manager, one Secretary, one Computer Systems Manager, one clinical data processor, three full-time and three part-time receptionists.  We also have a Practice Development Manager, working 8 hours a week.  We have one Nurse Practitioner and three part-time Practice Nurses (one at Grade B, one at Grade D and one at Grade G).  Two Health Visitors and three District Nurses are attached to the practice, and are also based at the Health Centre.  Weekly multi-disciplinary meetings are held between the GPs, Practice Nurses, District Nurses, Health Visitors, the Community Psychiatric Nurses, and Social Workers." Last sentence should read: "A daily phlebotomy service is provided.  The three practices in the Health Centre share the services of a Treatment Room, where nurses will perform injections, dressings and assistance with minor surgery.  A phlebotomy service is provided four mornings a week.

Out of hours cover is provided by Fife Primary Care Emergency Service. Calls to the practice are diverted to NHS 24 for triage. Details of patients requiring GP contact are passed to the Fife centre in Glenrothes where arrangements for a GP to phone the patient, for the patient to attend the Out of Hours Centre (St Andrews Memorial Hospital, or Adamson Hospital, Cupar), or for a home visit. Until responsibility for out of hours work is taken over by Fife PCES, the practice will continue to undertake its share of the sessions covering the North East Fife area.

At the Community Hospital, the General Practitioners are responsible for care of inpatients and for the treatment of casualties at the minor injuries unit.  A wide variety of outpatient clinics is provided by visiting consultants from Fife and Dundee.  There is open access to X-ray facilities, and laboratory services are provided at Kirkcaldy.  Shared maternity care is undertaken with obstetricians based at Kirkcaldy or Dundee, but there are no home confinements (except by accident!).

 The computer system used by the practice is “Vision” supplied by In Practice Systems.  This is a sophisticated clinical package, which it is hoped will enable us to move towards becoming “paper scarce”, and which we believe offers superior functionality to G-PASS.  It includes powerful audit and search tools as well as comprehensive recording of clinical data.

This Practice offers Registrars an opportunity to benefit from the wealth of experience available within the locality.  This is achieved by a programme of tutorials conducted by the Trainer and Deputy Trainer, and other Partners, together with practical experience of the routine of the Practice.  All partners and members of staff assist in the training as required, outside visits are arranged, and attendance at the Day Release Course at TCGP is encouraged.  The Health Centre has a substantial library of books, journals and CD ROM.  Internet and Medline access is available.

For further details, contact Mrs Helen Smith (Practice Manager), Dr Hamish Tait (Trainer) or Dr Gillian Thomson (Deputy Trainer) at the above address. Or go to the practice's own website at http://www.standrewshealthcentre.co.uk/ 

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Last updated 19 July 2004 by Bridget Crossman