Right Care Right Place

If you have any of the following injuries or symptoms, A&E is not the place to get the care you need.

Here are some of the most common reasons people attend A&E inappropriately. You’ll find information below on how to manage to each of the following issues:

Broken finger

If you have a broken finger bone, and there isn’t an open wound.
Tape or bandage the finger so it cannot move and attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Broken lower arm

If you think you have broken your arm, between your elbow and hand, and there isn’t an open wound… Immobilise the arm (keep it as still as possible) and attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Cold or sore throat

If you have an infection of the upper airways, such as a cold or sore throat. Most cases can be managed at home with rest and over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol.

If your symptoms are severe or prolonged, contact your local pharmacy.

Cut finger

If you have a cut or laceration to your finger that does not involve the nail, you can manage this at home.

Clean and dress the wound.

If the wound is deep, bleeding heavily, or shows signs of infection, attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Diarrhoea and/or vomiting

If you have a sudden onset of diarrhoea and/or vomiting, it is likely due to infection. Most cases can be managed at home with rest and by drinking plenty of fluids.

If there is blood in the stool, a high fever, or if symptoms persist, contact your local pharmacy or contact your GP.

Lower back pain

Pain in the lower back is often due to muscle strain or minor injury. Most cases can be managed at home with rest and gentle movement.

If the pain is severe, persistent, or associated with numbness, weakness, or loss of bladder or bowel control, contact your GP or attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Nausea and vomiting

If you are feeling sick and/or being sick, it can be caused by many things. Sickness can usually be managed at home with rest and over-the-counter medicines.

If you are unable to keep fluids down or your symptoms persist, contact your local pharmacy or GP.

Small injury to the head

If you have a minor cut, scrape, or bruises to your head, you can manage this at home.

Clean any wounds and apply ice to reduce swelling.

If you notice symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting or confusion, contact your GP, visit your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), or call NHS 24 on 111.

Sprained or strained ankle

Stretching or tearing the ankle ligaments is usually caused by twisting or rolling the foot. Most cases can be managed at home with rest, ice, compression and elevation.

If you experience severe pain, cannot bear weight, or notice a deformity, contact your GP or attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Sprained or strained foot

Injury to the ligaments or muscles of the foot is usually caused by twisting or overuse. Most cases can be managed at home with rest and elevation.

If you are unable to walk, or there is severe swelling or deformity, contact your GP or attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Sprained or strained wrist

Over stretching or tearing the wrist ligaments is often due to a fall. Most cases can be managed at home with rest, ice, compression and elevation.

If you are in severe pain, or notice a deformity, contact your GP or attend your nearest Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

If you have an infection of the urinary tract, you can most likely manage this at home.

Make sure to drink plenty of fluids and contact your local pharmacy or GP, especially if you develop a fever or back pain.

Viral infection

If you have symptoms such as: fever, cough or feeling generally unwell, you can manage this at home with rest and
over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol.

If your symptoms are severe or prolonged, contact your local pharmacy.

Using drugs or alcohol can affect our diets in many ways. The dietitians at ADRS have made nutrition information leaflets with help from service users and staff. These have been specifically made for people using drugs and alcohol or for the people that care for them.

Click on the links below to find information on different nutrition and diet topics:

Lindsay is an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, based in the West of Scotland.

What is the role of an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist?

The role of an APP is to help people aged 14 years and older with the diagnosis, management, and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions include problems with bones, joints, soft tissues, and muscles.

How can they help you? 

There are online guides that can be found on the NHSGGC website, which would be the first step if you’re experiencing any muscle, bone, or joint pain. If you are still struggling, you may have an APP within your GP Practice to book an appointment to see without needing a GP.

An APP has all a GP’s expertise and diagnostic tools, including X-rays, blood tests, and MRI scans as necessary. If further investigations or onward referrals are required, APPs can arrange this.

How can you speak to an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist?  

You can book in directly with an APP at your GP Practice if you have one.

If you don’t have one, you can start self-help by reviewing the NHSGGC website for online guides. You can also self-refer to the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapy service, which will provide ongoing treatment if required.

Moira is a Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Inverclyde. She has been based at Greenock Health and Care Centre since 2016. 

What is the role of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner?  

ANPs cover a range of different conditions and can do house visits in the community as well as seeing patients by appointment at GP practices. House visits are allocated by GPs and ANPs will go out to assess the patient. 

How can they help you? 

Our team of nine ANPs can see up to about 50 patients a week for many different conditions like chest infections, COPD exacerbation, falls, back pain and urinary tract infections. Some of these can be dealt with by ANPs in their entirety and others will require onward referral. 

How can you speak to an Advanced Nurse Practitioner? 

You may be referred to an ANP when you contact your GP practice.

Andrew is a Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner for the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Flow Navigation Centre, also known as Virtual Accident and Emergency (A&E).

What is the role of the Flow Navigation Centre?  

The role of the Flow Navigation Centre, or Virtual A&E, is to support patients aged 5 years old and older with non-life-threatening emergency injuries and illnesses in a virtual capacity. This means patients can be treated safely from home, rather than visiting a potentially busy A&E in person.

How can they help you? 

Virtual A&E is a team of highly experienced Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Emergency Nurse Practitioners, Advanced Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Consultants. They assess patients and can provide self-care treatment from the comfort of home. If required, they can arrange a scheduled in-person appointment at A&E, a Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), or you may be referred to a specialist medical service for your needs.

How can you speak to Virtual A&E? 

By calling NHS 24 on 111, appropriate patients will be referred for an appointment with virtual A&E. Virtual A&E is open 7 days a week.

Patients may also be referred to the virtual A&E team by their GP, Pharmacist, Scottish Ambulance Service, or within a nursing home.

Kate is an Assistant Clinical Director for the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Public Dental Service and has advised on the role of the Out of Hours Dental Service.

What is the role of the Out of Hours Dental Service?  

The role of the Out of Hours Dental Service is to provide people with urgent dental care if needed outside of their dentist’s working hours.   

How can they help you? 

If you are experiencing significant dental pain, or you have any urgent dental need outside of the hours your dentist, the Out of Hours Dental Service can help you if appropriate.  

How can you speak to the Out of Hours Dental Service? 

To access the Out of Hours Dental Service, call NHS 24 on 111, select the dental option and you will receive help and advice.  

The service only provides help for urgent dental conditions, but people are urged to call 111 even if they’re not sure. Even if you are not referred to the Out of Hours Service, you will receive advice on self-care and help available locally. 

If your issue isn’t out of hours, please call your local dentist and provide them with the details of your problem. If they think you require to see someone urgently, they will organise an emergency appointment with them.  

Kerri is a General Practitioner (GP) in the Southside of Glasgow. 

What is the role of the General Practitioner?  

The role of a GP and how you access primary care has changed.  

Your GP continues to provide general health advice and care, however, when you come in for an appointment, what you see is only a small part of practice life. There is a lot that takes place that you might not see from reception contacting patients, virtual appointments, medication reviews, patient letters, clinics, training and much more.    

How can they help you? 

Contact your GP if you have an urgent care need, an illness that does not improve with self-treatment, are worried about your health, or have an ongoing health condition. 

If you feel like you need to contact your GP, please ensure that you’ve checked self-help guides online and / or spoken with your local pharmacist for advice on common ailments, their treatments and medication first.  

This is particularly important with winter viruses at this time of year. Most cough, cold and flu symptoms result from common winter viruses. Viral infections do not respond to antibiotics, so rather than calling your GP, the best advice is to stay at home and take traditional over-the-counter remedies.  

How can you make an appointment with a GP? 

You can contact your GP by calling your practice’s reception. Please know that to ensure that you’re accessing the right care, GP receptionists will triage by asking some confidential questions. They’ll then signpost you to the person or service that best meets your needs. This may be your GP, or it could be one of the services mentioned below. 

GPs now have access to support services that complement and support GP care including advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses managing vaccinations, and community links workers for social and wellbeing.  

Before calling your GP, you’re encouraged to seek help via online resources as your symptoms could be treated at home. It is important that you use the resources available when you have a health issue. Think about the symptom finder of NHS Inform, use the NHS 24 app, and in addition there are other people around to seek help from.  

Sharon Irvine is a Community Link Worker who has been based at Castlemilk Health Centre for two years. 

What does a Community Link Worker do?

Community Link Workers are based in GP practices in some of Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s most vulnerable areas, based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. CLWs aim to help people who may contact their GP with issues that are not medical, but are negatively affecting their lives.

How can they help you?

CLWs can help with a range of social issues including money and debt help, energy costs, housing, loneliness and isolation, and problems with mental health and wellbeing.  

They can link people to groups and organisations, often within their own community, that provide support.

Link workers can support people with housing meetings and applications, and some run walking groups to help participants make new connections and improve their wellbeing. In Castlemilk, Sharon also helps run a bereavement group to provide additional support to those who need it. 

How can you speak to a Community Links Worker?

At GP practices that have an embedded CLW, any member of the multi-disciplinary primary care team can make a referral. People can also self-refer. 

Willis is an Optometrist at Wilkie Optometrists and an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Optometric Advisor. 

What does an optometrist do?  

The role of an optometrist is more than determining whether you need glasses. An optometrist specialises in overall healthcare for eyes and vision, including detection of diseases.  

How can they help you? 

You don’t have to be a glasses wearer to visit an optometrist for help. Anyone in Greater Glasgow and Clyde can visit an optometrist if they have an issue with their eyes. This could be issues with vision or sore, red, or itchy eyes. 

If the optometrist feels it is appropriate, they can also prescribe you medication for any infections involving your eyes.  

Optometrists can also detect eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.  

How can you speak to an optometrist? 

Contact any optometrist in your local area of high street. If you’re in pain and they can’t give you an appointment that day, they’ll help you find an optometrist who can.  

In many instances, people think that the best place to go with sore, red, or itchy eyes is their GP, however the GP will signpost you to an optometrist so your best to go to them directly. 

This appointment is covered by the NHS and you will not need to pay for a consultation. 

Azhar Sheikh is a community pharmacist based in the southside of Glasgow. 

What is a Community Pharmacist?

Pharmacies have truly become the heart of healthcare in the community setting and are no longer just a place to collect your prescriptions. A community pharmacist offers advice to patients for a range of minor illnesses, helps to counsel patients on how to take their medicines safely, and recommends the most effective treatments. They also have consultation rooms where you can chat in private and have some conditions examined when appropriate.

How can they help you? 

In addition to fulfilling prescriptions, the range of services that a community pharmacist provides has vastly changed in the last few years. They can now also treat conditions such as impetigo, shingles or urinary tract infections, so if you feel like you might have one of these, your pharmacist should be your first stop. No appointment is required.  

Community pharmacists are also good to help advise with colds and flu. Many viruses are not treatable with antibiotics, but community pharmacists can help with various over-the-counter medicines to help you feel comfortable and alleviate the symptoms you may be experiencing.   

How can you speak to a Community Pharmacist? 

Your local pharmacist is available to speak to you during the day whether that’s you going to the pharmacy or simply phoning them.  

Find your closest community pharmacy on the NHS Inform Pharmacies webpage.