Out Of Hours Service
NHS Lanarkshire's out-of-hours service is for patients who need urgent medical care and cannot wait until their GP surgery is open. All of NHS Lanarkshire's out-of-hours calls are now handled by NHS 24, the new telephone health advice, clinical assessment and referral service. You can contact it directly on 08454 24 24 24 .
An NHS 24 nurse advisor will assess your symptoms and advise you what to do next. If you need to see a doctor or other health professional, the nurse will arrange this for you.
Whatever the problem, you can talk confidentially to a nurse or health information advisor who will help you get the right care from the right health professional at the right time. If you call your GP surgery out-of-hours, a recorded message will ask you to ring the NHS 24 number.
Patients are advised to make sure they always have sufficient quantities of any regular medication. It is also useful to keep your medicine cabinet stocked with a few medicines, such as paracetamol, which can help you look after yourself at home. Your local community pharmacist will be pleased to offer advice about what you need.
Where is my nearest out-of-hours centre?
When you call NHS 24 out of hours you may be given an appointment at one of the new treatment centres. Lanarkshire's three main out-of-hours centres are within the Accident and Emergency departments at Hairmyres, Wishaw General and Monklands hospitals. They are open from 6pm to 8am on weekdays and all day weekends and public holidays.
There are also satellite centres covering some of the out-of-hours period at Lanark Health Centre and Cumbernauld Health Centre. In some cases you may be able to attend one of the nurse-led minor injury and illness clinics at Kello Hospital in Biggar and Lady Home Hospital in Douglas.
Transport there and back may be provided in certain circumstances for people unable to make their own way to a centre. In exceptional circumstances where there is a genuine need, arrangements may be made for a health professional to visit you in your home. Patients can also ask an NHS 24 nurse advisor for an appointment at a centre outwith Lanarkshire if this is more convenient for them.
Do not go to a centre in the out-of-hours period without calling NHS 24 first. You could end up having to wait much longer to be treated. The same is true if you go to Accident and Emergency and it is not an emergency.
If it is an emergency and you think you need an ambulance, you should still call 999 as before. If you call NHS 24 and the call handler or nurse advisor thinks you need an ambulance, this will be arranged for you.