Routine GP appointments
Our routine GP appointments last 10 minutes and may be booked with the doctor of your choice. If you have multiple problems or feel that you will need more than 10 minutes, please discuss this with Reception when booking. We are usually able to offer routine appointments within a few days but during the Winter or at holiday times it may be longer. You can book either in person at Reception or by telephoning 441 3119. Our telephone lines are particularly busy between 8am and 9am so please arrange routine appointments outwith this hour if possible.
Emergency appointments
If you have an urgent medical problem and there are no free appointments, our reception staff will offer you an “urgent problem” appointment or ask you to discuss your problem with the duty doctor. Emergency appointments are added onto the GPs’ existing workload for the day and should only be used for medical problems which cannot wait until the next morning. If in doubt, our reception staff will be happy to advise. We would ask that you do not use these appointments for sick lines or prescriptions.
Extended hours appointments
Dr Stewart, Dr Cockburn, Dr Ford, Dr Cakebread and Dr Peddie have a small number of early morning telephone appointments starting at 07:00 am for those people who work and find it difficult to attend during their working day.
Dr Stewart works alternate Wednesday mornings from 7am
Dr Cockburn works every Tuesday mornings 7am
Dr Ford works alternative Friday mornings from 7am
Dr Cakebread works alternative Thursday morning from 7am
Dr Peddie works alternative Friday morning from 7am
GP Specialist Trainee and teaching appointments
We usually have a GP Specialist Trainee doctor working at Firrhill. This doctor is fully qualified with several years of experience in hospital and now specialising to become a GP. The GPST may have longer appointments and sometimes (with patient permission) undertakes video recording of appointments. We also teach medical students in the practice and may ask if you would be happy to speak to a medical student or undertake a video with them before you see the doctor. Of course this is entirely optional and refusal will in no way affect your medical care.