Fear of Flying

Ravenswood Surgery does NOT prescribe sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice.

The reasons for this include:

1. Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
2. Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than four hours.
3. Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number of people experience agitation and even aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
4. According to the prescribing guidelines doctors are required to follow (BNF), Benzodiazepines are contraindicated (not allowed) for phobia (fear). Your doctor is taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines.
5. Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated, or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
6. Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.

We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines, and we have listed a number of these below:

• Easy Jet   www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com   Tel: 0203 8131644
• British Airways   www.flyingwithconfidence.com   Tel: 01252 793250
• Virgin   www.flyingwithoutfear.co.uk   Tel: 01423 714900

ANGUSalive

We are trialling the ability for patients to manage some of their appointments online. You can now:

• View past and upcoming appointments
• Cancel appointments
• Schedule telephone appointments for early morning extended hours clinics

To use this system, you need to be registered with our online services system - if you're not, please speak to our reception team.

Log in here to manage your appointments.

Spring/Summer 2024 Newsletter

You can download our latest newsletter by clicking here. If you would like a paper copy, please pop in to the surgery.

Scam - or genuine?

Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether a contact made to you is genuine or a scam. If you are in any doubt, please don't hesitate to contact the surgery and ask for advice. Here are two examples of things that have happened recently.

Genuine

If you are currently on the waiting list for an orthopaedic procedure, you may receive a text message from NHS Scotland. Please note this is NOT a scam. Some procedures are being offered to patients earlier if they are willing to have their surgery done elsewhere in Scotland.

If you do receive a message, please engage with it and complete the questions if you are able. However, if you are unable to complete the questions or if you do not have a smart phone, please do not worry as you will be contacted by telephone over the coming weeks.

Scam

Another practice in the area let us know of an encounter they had with one of their elderly patients. The patient informed them that he was approached by a company called 'Premier UK Healthcare'.  This company telephoned the patient, they seemed to know his medical condition and that he was a patient of that Practice. The patient felt reassured that this was a genuine call when the company mentioned his practice name. He was offered a home visit and during the visit they looked at his mattress and unfortunately he has paid a £200 deposit towards the purchase of a £2,000 mattress. The Practice has clarified with their patient that they would never disclose patient information to companies or to any third party without the patient's consent, and they have advised the patient to contact the police to report this incident.

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Patient Registrations

From 3 October 2022, we will be accepting registrations from anyone who has moved into the area, as long as you have not yet registered at a local Practice.  We are unable to take applications from patients registered with Academy Medical Centre or Lour Road Group Practice, and can only accept patients currently registered with Kirriemuir if you have now moved into Forfar.

Coronavirus

If you have Coronavirus related symptoms but are well and managing, please self-isolate in line with national guidance. If you are unwell, or feel you may need hospital assessment, please contact us for advice. We cannot test for coronavirus even if you have symptoms. 

You can call the Coronavirus Helpline on 0800 028 2816.

Alternatively, you can find more information on NHS Inform:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19

https://lbh.covid19inquiry.scot/

COVID vaccination status

People will be able access their Covid-19 Vaccine Status online, by logging on to www.nhsinform.scot/covid19status.

People who have lost or forgotten their username or password will be able to create new ones by selecting 'forgot username' or 'forgot password' options. A Freephone Covid Status Helpline will allow people to get the record posted to them.

It can be contacted on 0808 196 8565.

The Scottish Government continues to urge a highly cautious approach to international travel, given the risk of new variants. The four UK Chief Medical Officers have said that green-list status should be the exception, rather than the rule, with countries added to the list only where there are very good reasons for doing so.

Up to Date Patient Contact Information

Please ensure your contact details are up to date with our Surgery.  Updating your contact details with your GP automatically updates all systems including NHS Tayside, NHS 24 and Scottish Ambulance Service.

Practice Closure Dates

The Practice will be closed on the following dates:
(On dates marked *, the practice will be closed to patients for training all afternoon from 1pm, but emergency calls can still be taken)

Please note that the Practice will be closed from 1pm - 2pm every day for Protected Learning Time.

PLEASE CONTACT NHS 24 ON 111 IF YOU REQUIRE ADVICE. 
IN AN EMERGENCY, DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE.