Brownlee Teams

Nearest to the Brownlee Centre, the Gartnavel General Hospital sanctuary is situated just inside the main entrance of the hospital (ground floor), on the right-hand side before the Deco Coffee Shop.

The chaplain’s office is in the corner of the Gartnavel General Hospital sanctuary.

Telephone: 0141 211 3026

For more information on Gartnavel General Hospital, go to the Gartnavel Hospital page.

More information on the NHSGGC Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy service.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Clinical nurse specialists can be found across a range of different medical specialties and long term conditions e.g. Coronary Heart Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes. They are nurses who are trained and focus on a particular disease and are qualified to provide clinical input to patient care in place of a doctor. Every patient attending the Brownlee Centre is allocated a CNS and their role is to link that person to the department. The CNS can be contacted for any enquiry that is related to the management of HIV.

Nurse led clinics

Patients attend nurse-led clinics when they are considered to be stable and they have a less clinical and more holistic approach that focuses on lifestyle choices and health improvement. These include alcohol intake, diet, exercise, smoking, recreational drug use, sexual health and social circumstances.

At the nurse led clinic you will be reviewed by one of the nurse specialist team, not necessarily your allocated nurse.

Our goal is that all patients can develop a relationship with the care team that is built on trust and clear communication. If you have an issue related to your HIV treatment and care, we encourage you to get in touch as early as possible – don’t wait until you have reached crisis point!

First Visit

At your first visit to the Brownlee, you will be seen by the out-patient nursing staff who will carry out initial blood tests and a few other checks. You’ll meet your specialist nurse and sexual health advisor, and you will be given written information about HIV and the support services available.

You will then be given an appointment to be seen at the consultant clinic to review your blood tests.

What is HIV medicine?

The aim is to control and suppress the HIV virus completely to levels where it is undetectable in the blood – an undetectable viral load. This is done by making sure each patient has the correct course of antiretroviral medication.   You will need to take this medication for the rest of your life, so decisions are based on a number of things, including evidence that will affect the future e.g. will a person’s work affect how and when they can take their medication?

What is the role of an HIV consultant?

The consultant leads a patients care and has overall responsibility for making sure a long term plan is in place. They check and double check all the information relevant to your care through review, reflection and ensuring safe systems are in place. Your named consultant will be either an infectious disease or genitourinary medicine consultant, who specialises in HIV medicine.

What other doctors might a patient see?

You won’t always see your named consultant when you attend and this might be because of rotas, other clinical commitments and to allow trainees to gain experience. You might see registrars who are fully qualified doctors that are training to become HIV specialists.

However, all the decisions about your care ultimately lie with your named consultant.

What is the most important message you have for patients?

Engage with the whole service – all of your  appointments are important and enable us to work with you to provide the best possible care.  If you are unable to attend, please get in touch with us. Don’t wait until crisis point or until the last tablet. Provide feedback and communicate with us.

The counselling team at the Brownlee provides help to people who are infected or affected by HIV and/or Hepatitis C.  We offer a range of psychological interventions that aim to maintain positive emotional health and wellbeing.

The counsellors offer a confidential, safe and non-judgemental space where clients can talk through their issues and concerns.  Clients can refer themselves or ask any healthcare professional to refer them.

Some of the services the counselling team provide are:

• Urgent psychological support and advice
• One-One counselling: face to face, by video or by telephone
• Group counselling
• Patient support groups
• Person centred counselling
• Integrative therapies
• Trauma counselling
• Addiction therapies

Dietitians are health professionals who can assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems.

The Dietitian service at Brownlee can help people with:

• Advice on a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet
• Assist in maintenance of healthy weight and muscle stores
• Optimise nutritional status
• Encourage a positive approach to eating

If you have concerns about any aspect of your nutrition you should discuss this with a member of the Brownlee team who can then make a referral on your behalf.

Free Condoms Service

Free Condoms are provided to anyone who lives, works or studies in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

The service has been designed to be user friendly for both the service user and condom distribution outlets.  It is discreet and simple with no requirement to register or answer questions.  You can get your free condoms and lubricant from one of the many participating outlets. Go to the Free Condoms Website for more information.

If you or your partner are living with HIV and thinking about having a baby we would encourage you to discuss this with your doctor or Specialist nurse beforehand or let them know as soon as you know you are pregnant.

We can give advice on antiretroviral medication in pregnancy, how to become pregnant safely, how to ensure you remain well during pregnancy and how we will work together to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV. 

During pregnancy, the HIV team work closely with the Blossom team based in Princess Royal Maternity and we recommend women living with HIV attend PRMH for antenatal care. We provide a joint clinic with the HIV doctor and nurse, obstetric doctor, midwife and a neonatal doctor (who will look after the baby at birth) and can provide all your care in one place during pregnancy and in the weeks after baby is born.

The team work together to follow national guidelines to look after women living with HIV during pregnancy. Download or view the PDF containing more information on these.

There is good evidence that a range of psychological interventions can make a considerable difference to the long-term health and well-being of someone living with HIV, including how well they manage their condition and adhere to treatment.

We offer each patient an appointment with a member of the counselling team for a WELL-BEING assessment which is an opportunity to find out if there are emotional and psychological issues that may require support and treatment. It is also an opportunity to identify social, financial or indeed any other problems that you may need help with.

Treatment may be in the form of ongoing counselling, anxiety and stress management, attendance at a support group, or mental health care and treatment.

The Occupational Therapy (OT) service provides specialist assessment and treatment to help individuals develop, regain or maintain the skills necessary to participate in all areas of their lives. Occupational Therapy gives people the ‘skills for the job of living meaningful and satisfying lives’.

At the Brownlee, the OT service receives a wide range of referrals, commonly related to memory, fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep problems and social isolation. The OT service can be accessed through any staff member and individuals can self refer.

OT service may include:

• Assessment and management of fatigue
• Anxiety Management training
• Advice and support to access work, leisure and community facilities
• Liaison with Community Occupational Therapist for environmental adaptations
• Advice and support for carers and families
• Liaison and referral to community services and projects ie Impact arts, flourish house, access to work, Waverly Care,
• Assessment of activities of daily living eg meal preparation, self care, shopping
• Provision of equipment to improve functional status, and increase independence.

During your appointment with the Occupational Therapy service you will be given the opportunity to discuss any issues you are experiencing and work collaboratively with the OT to develop goals and strategies. The majority of appointments will be one to one with the Occupational Therapist or Assistant Health Practitioner, however there are sometimes opportunities for group work.

As some of the first friendly faces you will meet at your visits here at the Brownlee, the Outpatient Nursing Team are committed to providing care and support to patients and their families and friends. The Outpatient Nursing Team are the central “link” in the multi-disciplinary team. Managing the lists of separate clinics, we carry out a very varied role, helping co-ordinate a patients journey as well as

• Referring to most appropriate part of the service
• Running a nurse led phlebotomy (blood testing) service
• Co-ordinating nursing tasks such as vaccines, return appointments, diagnostic monitoring such as weight, BP and urinalysis.  Routine sexual health screens are also carried out by the OPD nursing team.
• Supporting and caring for patients 

“I have hope for the first time (since diagnosis). It feels less traumatic. They really understood me.”

Brownlee Patient

Many people have questions surrounding their diagnosis, treatment or other issues related to living with HIV. Unless they know someone else living with HIV they often struggle to speak to someone who really understands things from their perspective.

The Peer Support Project provides a confidential environment for one HIV positive individual to meet with another more experienced HIV patient, who will listen to your concerns and fears and share what it’s like living positively.

The service is open to all current HIV positive patients in NHSGGC, regardless of how long they have been diagnosed, and who could benefit from speaking to another person living with HIV. This could be related to issues such as; shock of diagnosis, stigma, relationships, disclosure, work, social isolation, beginning treatment and other constraints or questions a person might have related to living with HIV.

“I was cynical…I did not expect the impact meeting the peer has had. It has changed my outlook totally.”

Brownlee Patient

Call or email us to access Peer Support or find out more about the service. Alternatively you can ask any member of staff when you are next at the Brownlee.

The pharmacy team dispense medications and make sure they are safe and effective. They also ensure that your HIV medication is compatible with other medicines you might take or any other health conditions you may have.

Drug interactions are very common with antivirals and it is important for us to check in advance that medication is compatible to reduce the risk of treatment failures or drug toxicities. Patients and other medical professionals (eg GPs) are encouraged to check with the specialist pharmacy team before starting any new medicine including those purchased at the supermarket or community pharmacy or even any herbal products.

When a new antiviral is supplied, both at the outset of treatment or if changes to your medicines are required, a member of the team will discuss this with you. The aim of this is to provide you with practical information relating to how to get the best results from your medicines but also to give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about your new medicines or the service we provide.

We also offer a medication delivery service, which allows antivirals to be delivered to your home. It is only available to those patients who are stable on their antivirals, after discussion with their consultant.    The company is called Lloyds Homecare – Tel: 0345 263 6135  

If you have any questions regarding your medicines, your supply or taking other medicines, please don’t hesitate to call us on 0141 211 3383. Our opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm, and Thursday from 9.00am to 4.30pm.

Attending the Brownlee Centre for HIV care there will be many opportunities to talk about your health and HIV treatment.  However,  you may wish to discuss other issues  such as sex, relationships, condoms, or telling a partner about your diagnosis, but may not find there is the time or the opportunity to do so with your doctor.

Here are some of the areas that we can help with:

• Safer sex and condoms
• Negotiating safer sex with sexual partners
• Telling someone (perhaps a sexual partner) you are HIV positive
• Concerns about your sexual health and sexually transmitted infections
• Lifestyle issues and living with HIV
• Worries or concerns about your care and treatments

Using condoms

Using condoms when having penetrative sex (anal or vaginal) is the best way to significantly reduce the risks of HIV transmission. We now have lots of information available that condoms, used correctly and consistently, can prevent passing on HIV and just as importantly other sexually transmitted infections.

Using a water-based or silicon-based lube makes anal sex safe for both the insertive (top) and the receptive (bottom) partner. Using lubricant is not recommended for vaginal sex.

You can pick up a wide variety of condoms and lube completely free from a range of services and pharmacies. For more information see the Free Condoms Glasgow website.

Lower risk sex

There are some sexual activities that carry little or no risks of passing on HIV. For example oral sex (mouth to genital contact) is very low risk in terms of HIV transmission, as long as the mouth is healthy and no other infections are present. Activities such as kissing, hugging, touching or stroking, mutual masturbation, and rimming (tongue to anus contact) carry no risk of HIV transmission.

The risk of other sexually transmitted infections needs to be considered, particularly through oral sex.

Undetectable viral load

The information you get from your test results and discussions with your doctor about your viral load can help inform your choices around having sex. If your viral load has been undetectable for several months and you continue to take your anti-HIV drugs correctly without problems, the risks of HIV transmission during unprotected penetrative sex (anal or vaginal) is much reduced.

However not everyone is in agreement about how much the risk is reduced. Risks of other sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy issues also need to be considered when having unprotected sex.

You should discuss your Viral Load with your doctor or Sexual Health Adviser before making any decisions.  More information on this is available from the National AIDS Manual (NAM) website.

What if my partner is HIV positive too?

It may seem obvious to think that if your sexual partner is HIV positive then there is no need to consider how you have sex together. This is not quite true. Apart from the risks of other sexually transmitted infections, the concern is the possibility of infection with more than one strain of HIV – or superinfection.

This could mean for example it is less likely to achieve undetectable viral load with anti-HIV drugs but the implications of this for your future health are not clear and not everyone is in agreement about the effects of this. Another concern is resistance to anti-HIV drugs being passed from person to person.

Re-infection or superinfection is less likely if you both have an undetectable viral load.

If this issue affects you it may be helpful to talk this through with your doctor at the Brownlee.

Some information about this is available on the Terrence Higgins Trust website.

More frequently asked questionse.

Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine and HIV

• Dr Alex Maxwell
• Dr Andrew Winter
• Dr Rona MacDonald
• Dr Becky Metcalfe
• Dr Richard Kennedy
• Dr Ceilidh Grimshaw
• Dr Cara Saxon

Consultant in Infectious Diseases

• Dr Jamie McAllister
• Dr Celia Jackson
• Dr David Bell
• Dr Erica Peters
• Dr Beth White Prof Emma Thomson

Lead HIV/Hepatitis Specialist Nurse

• Shona Galbraith

HIV/Hepatitis Specialist Nurse

• Elinor Clark
• Stuart Kirkwood
• Clair Wilson
• Jacqueline Rolland
• Erica Cunningham
• Lynn Laverty
• Maxine Brown

Sexual Health Advisor

• Aileen Little
• Grace Hayner

Specialty Physician

• Dr Claire Murphy
• Dr Kali Perrow

Clinical Coordinator / Psychiatrist

• Dr Roger Wong

Specialist Dietician

• Lesley Ann Woodside

Specialist Occupational Therapist

• Karyn McAllister

Occupational Therapy Assistant

• Sandra Tonner

Therapeutic Counsellor

• Anne Muir
• Eadie Khan
• Wendy Galbraith

Peer Support and Patient Engagement Manager

• Katai Kasengele

Clinic Receptionists

• Mhiari Taylor
• Alison Hughes

Outpatient Clinic Charge Nurse

• Gillian Mulholland

Outpatient Clinic Nurse

• Carol Hardie
• Elaine Rarity
• Chloe Black

Outpatient Clinic Nurse Assistant

• Margaret Keyes

Lead HIV Specialist Pharmacist

• Kathryn Brown

Specialist HIV Pharmacist

• Jenni Rae
• Ceira Murray

Clinical Pharmacy Technician

• Simone Brown

Clinical HIV Pharmacy Technician

• Sharon Jordan
• Beth Wright

Pharmacy Support Worker

• Frances Brown
• Lynsey McDermid

Medical Secretaries

• Sharyn Williams
• Shauni Jaconelli
• Denise McDermott
• Lucy Eve
• Jacqueline McCulloch

Audio Typist

• Nicole Chee

Information Management Coordinator

• Revathy Raajaravi

Administrative Officer

• Maureen Coll