Linkwood Medical, Elgin

13/08/2025

If you've been asked by a specialty at the hospital to have tests carried out, these should be done at the hub. You can book an appointment by calling 01224 555 177. More information can be found here https://www.nhsgrampian.org/service-hub/secondary-care-hubs

08/08/2025

Today, we say goodbye to Sonya who retires after 13 years at Linkwood. She will be greatly missed by all of the staff and patients, we wish her all the best in her retirement.

08/08/2025

💊 Online - Order Repeat Medication 💊

You can sign up for online services to order repeat medication online via our website here. You must be over 16 to use this service.

04/08/2025

If you are stuck for something to do, or need some company, why not have a look at what's on at The Oaks?

There's different activities each month; most need to be pre-booked - there's a phone number and email below.

The Oaks itself is out by the Eight Acres hotel, so only a short walk or bus out off town.

Here's what on in August.

Complementary Therapy
Referral and assessment is required prior to attending. Therapies offered from Tuesday to Friday each week at the Oaks include:
 Massage – tailored to suit your needs.
 Aromatherapy – combines essential oils with a specialised massage.
 Reiki – healing energy is channelled through the practitioner to the receiver.
 Indian Head Massage – the use of gentle rhythmic movements covering back, neck, shoulders, arms, face & head, which helps to relax & release tension.
 Reflexology – pressure is applied to the hands or feet to stimulate reflexes, which aids the correction of energy imbalances.
 M Technique

Seated Yoga
A 6 week programme and booking is required.

Drop in Session on a Monday & Wednesday
Have you attended the Oaks before or want to know more about it? Come and join us for an informal chat and a cuppa.

Creative Sessions
Join our creative sessions – self referral required. Course is run over 6 weeks. Dates will be confirmed on receipt of referral. Maximum 6 people on each course block.

Gardening Group – April to October
Come and join our gardening group as we potter inside and outside… We do need names of attendees in advance. This group is weather permitting but the kettle is always on.

Men’s Group & Mixed Group Session
10 week programme. Allows for assessment, support, goal setting and sign posting from a multidisciplinary team. Referral must be made by a Health professional to attend.

30/07/2025

Prescriptions 💊

We get lots of questions from patients about their prescriptions. We've put together some information to help keep you informed:

What does "on repeat" mean?
A clinician may put medication on repeat. This means you can order it when you're running out without needing to speak to anyone

Will the repeat medication automatically be at the pharmacy for me?
No, you need to order it when you're running out. When you initially collect your medication you will be given a repeat slip. You just tick what you need and hand it in to either the practice or pharmacy. It takes around 3 working days to process.

I've lost the repeat slip, how do I order my medication?
You can write down all of your details along with the medication on a piece of paper and hand this into us.

I've completely run out of repeat medication, what do I do?
You need to order as normal and get an emergency supply from your pharmacy

Why does it take 3 days to process my prescription?
We have 13,000 patients and process so many prescriptions, it would be impossible to safely issue them any quicker. We issue around 15,000 prescriptions per month.

Can I order over the phone?
No. We don't accept medication requests over the phone. The reason being that we already answer 300 calls on average per day, if patients were calling to order medications it would overwhelm the phone lines and wouldn't be safe either.

Can I order my medication online?
Yes but you need to complete a form and provide a copy of ID first. Our website has details on how to do this.

I was given medication as a one-off, how do I get more?
You'll need to book either a routine appointment or call during triage, depending on the medication.

Can you send my prescription to the pharmacy when it's processed?
Yes but you'll need to make sure we have recorded your preferred pharmacy.

24/07/2025

There is currently a national issue with phone lines. Some patients have missed telephone consultations but we will do our best to accommodate call backs either today/tomorrow.

23/07/2025

📅 Appointments

We have a few different appointment types and ways to book so we thought it would be a good idea to share some more information with our patients.

Urgent issues - We operate a triage system everyday between 8.30am and 10am which basically means we have a team of clinicians available during this time to do on-the-day call backs. You must call and press option 3. If you call after 10am, you may be asked to call the following day. The reason for this being, our clinicians all have a carefully planned day of appointments, admin, referrals, results, letters and unplanned events.

Routine issues - All of your initial routine appointments are by telephone and the clinician can then book you a face-to-face appointment if required. We find this works well as some things can be dealt with over the phone. Clinicians can prescribe or give advice but can bring you in fairly quickly if needed. Generally our routine appointments are 2 weeks in advance. Before covid, the wait time for these was up to 4 weeks.

Annual Reviews - If you have an existing chronic condition (Asthma, CKD, COPD, Diabetes, AF, CHD, CVD, Hypothyroidism, Stroke) we will invite you annually on your birth month for a review. For most conditions this involved an initial appointment with a healthcare assistant for bloods, BP, BMI, Lifestyle) then a follow-up if needed with an advanced nurse practitioner. If you are newly diagnosed or have issues in between annual reviews, you may be seen more often.

Nurse appointments - you can see the nurse for things like wound review, stitch removal, ECG, injections, dressings, INR, asthma review and minor illness. These appointments are generally at least 1 week in advance. You can book these by telephone or in person.

Healthcare assistant - you can see our HCA's for bloods, blood pressure, BMI, ECG's and foot screening. You can book these by telephone or in person. You can only have blood tested on the instruction of a clinician, you cannot book bloods without speaking to a clinician first.

Mental Health Practitioner - You can self-refer to our mental health practitioner by emailing direct. There are details on our website.

Physio - You can also self-refer to physio, details are on our website.

18/07/2025

📝 Fit Note FAQ's

Commonly referred to as sick notes, we receive lots of queries about them. Here are some answers to the most common questions.

Q. What does a fit note say?
A. It will either state you are unfit for work or may be fit for work. It will give a reason for absence and duration.

Q. What does may be fit for work mean?
A. The GP could advise a phased return or different duties.

Q. Do I need a fit note for my first week of absence from work?
A. No, you can self-certify your own absence for up to 7 days. It is a legal document.

Q. I am covered by a current fit note but feel well enough to go back to work.
A. You can return to work when you feel well enough to do so. Discuss a return to work with your employer.

Q. I have self-certified for 1 week and now need a fit note from the GP but my appointment isn't for a couple of weeks.
A. The GP can back-date your fit note.

Q. I'm in hospital and need a fit note?
A. Clinicians in the hospital are able to issue fit notes.

Q. I want the GP to certify I am fit to return to work.
A. The GP is unable to do this. Your employer would need to consult with their own occupational therapy.

Q. How do I get an extension to my fit note?
A. You can request an extension using our eConsult platform. If the GP needs to speak to you first, we will advise you to book a routine appointment.

Q. Can you email the fit note to me?
A. Yes, we can send it electronically.

Q. Are there any websites I can look at for more information?
A. The government website is attached to this post and has straightforward information.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-fit-note-a-guide-for-patients-and-employees/the-fit-note-guidance-for-patients-and-employees

15/07/2025

⭐️ Children & Young Person's Physiotherapy Advice Line ⭐️

15/07/2025

Shared on behalf of Paul Southworth, Consultant in Public Health.

Good Afternoon,

We are writing to inform you about an important upcoming online event designed specifically for parents and carers, following the recent success of our practitioner events highlighting the manosphere.

The "manosphere" is a growing network of online communities promoting harmful gender ideologies that can significantly impact young people's views, relationships, and well-being. Recognising the critical need to equip parents and carers with the knowledge and tools to address this, we have developed a dedicated session:

"Understanding the Manosphere: A Guide for Parents and Carers"

This essential online event will empower attendees to:

• Understand what the manosphere is, its key themes, and its various sub-groups (from MRAs to Incels).
• Recognise the subtle and overt signs that their child might be engaging with these harmful ideologies, including changes in language, attitudes, and behaviour.
• Learn effective ways to engage in proactive, empathetic conversations with their children, fostering critical thinking and media literacy.
• Discover vital resources and support available for both parents and young people to navigate these complex challenges.

We believe that open dialogue and a supportive home environment are the strongest tools against these online risks. This event aims to equip parents and carers with the knowledge to protect their children.

To accommodate different schedules, we are offering two dates for this event:

• Date 1: 31st July 2025, 12:00 - 13:00
• Date 2: 5th August 2025, 18:00 - 19:00


31st July - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1473280103449?aff=oddtdtcreator

5th August - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1473730229789?aff=oddtdtcreator

Are you a parent or carer concerned about the online world your children are navigating?

15/07/2025

Update: We are back online

We currently have no access to our clinical system. Cegedim are working on restoring access, this is a national issue.

11/07/2025

We will be closed for the public holiday on Monday 14th July. You may have a pre-booked appointment for this date which you can still attend. If you require urgent medical advice when we are closed, please contact NHS24 on 111. Any life threatening emergencies should be directed to 999 as usual. Some pharmacies will also be closed for the public holiday.

Please call NHS24 – 111 A receptionist in the emergency call centre will answer your call and either: In a genuine emergency you should call 999. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an…