Skerryvore Practice

Skerryvore Practice Information about Skerryvore Practice - a General Practice in Kirkwall Orkney.

We use this page to keep the patients of Skerryvore Practice up to date on the latest practice news as well as local and national matters.

08/06/2026

We have fewer staff than normal in our office today.

If you need to request an on the day review please fill in the form on the home page of our website (www.skerryvorepractice.co.uk). This is open from 8am and goes straight to a clinician to review, saving you trying to get through on the phone when we open at 8.30am.

We often have a few hundred prescription requests to process on a Monday. These will get done today but if you have a question about an order placed, please wait until this afternoon to call us.

If your query is not urgent we would be grateful if you would call after our triage closes at 12pm.

Thank you for your understanding.

We’re continuing to expand how we use Accurx to support patient care and will now be using it to help us review some med...
05/06/2026

We’re continuing to expand how we use Accurx to support patient care and will now be using it to help us review some medications.

This means we may contact you by text message with a secure link to check how you’re getting on with your medicines and to ask a few quick questions. These are usually a mix of multiple-choice questions and questions where we ask for your thoughts and opinions. Your responses will go back to the requesting clinician.

It helps us review your treatment safely and saves you time, often without needing a phone call or appointment. Once you receive the link to the questionnaire, it will be valid for one week.

A reminder that we also use Accurx as part of our triage system. If you feel you need an on-the-day clinical review, you don't need to phone us.
Please complete the form on the homepage of our website between 8am–12pm, Monday to Friday. Completed forms go straight to a clinician.

29/05/2026

Crescent Pharma Limited is initiating a precautionary recall of one batch of Ramipril 2.5 mg Capsules following the identification of a potential packaging error at the manufacturing site.

Planning a visit to Orkney? Don’t forget your prescription medication 💊If you or someone you’re going away with takes pr...
20/05/2026

Planning a visit to Orkney? Don’t forget your prescription medication 💊

If you or someone you’re going away with takes prescription medication, then it’s vital to have enough with you to last the entire holiday as well as some extras in case of delays, damage or loss. Always pack medication in your hand luggage and keep prescriptions in their original containers with clear labels.

If you do run out, here’s what to do:
➡️Scottish residents
Visit a local pharmacy – an emergency supply (up to one full repeat) may be provided.
➡️UK residents (outside Scotland)
Visit a local pharmacy - they may supply up to 30 days with proof of a recent prescription.
➡️EU & Swiss visitors
Visit a local pharmacy - they may supply up to 30 days with proof of a recent prescription.
➡️Visitors from outside EU/Switzerland
You must register as a temporary patient with a local GP and wait for an appointment.

⚠️ Important:
If you are referred to us, please contact us before midday and ensure you have proof that the item you are requesting has been prescribed to you. If you are unable to provide this, we will ask that you contact your GP to obtain a medication summary.

We can only see you if your accommodation in Orkney falls within our practice boundary. We operate a shared rota for temporary residents with Heilendi, the other GP practice in Kirkwall, so you may be redirected accordingly

Controlled drugs (e.g. strong painkillers, benzodiazepines) will always require a GP prescription. In these situations, we cannot guarantee that we will issue a prescription and our doctors’ decision in such circumstances is final.

18/05/2026

Due to staff illness, we have fewer GPs than usual for the next few days.

We kindly ask for your patience and understanding while we work to manage the workload.

Thank you.

A huge shout out to our amazing Skerryvore nursing team on international nurses day 💙Skilled, compassionate, full of wis...
12/05/2026

A huge shout out to our amazing Skerryvore nursing team on international nurses day 💙

Skilled, compassionate, full of wisdom and always bringing fun to the day.

We very rarely manage to get them all together at work so this is the best group photo we could come up with!

Thank you for everything you do.

We are just two and a half hours into this morning’s surgeries and have had 6 GP appointments and 3 nurse appointments w...
11/05/2026

We are just two and a half hours into this morning’s surgeries and have had 6 GP appointments and 3 nurse appointments where patients did not attend.

This equates to over 1½ hours of lost clinician time, which could have been used to see other patients who need care.

If you no longer need your appointment, please cancel it as soon as possible so it can be offered to someone else.

If remembering appointments is difficult, you can sign up for our text reminder service, which many patients find helpful.

08/05/2026

So far in 2026, we have issued an average of 2,545 prescription items each week (approximately 509 items per day).

Every item is manually checked and signed off by a doctor.

Almost all of our prescriptions are sent to Boots Kirkwall or WHB Sutherland Ltd Kirkwall , and we are just one of two busy GP practices in Kirkwall issuing prescriptions to these pharmacies.

This is why we ask patients to order their medication when they have 7–10 days left. Doing so helps both the practice and our colleagues in community pharmacies to manage their workload and ensures there is enough time for pharmacies to order, check and dispense your medication without delays.

SICK DAY RULESThis is a reminder that if you are taking certain medicines when you are dehydrated this can result in you...
05/05/2026

SICK DAY RULES

This is a reminder that if you are taking certain medicines when you are dehydrated this can result in you developing a more serious illness. The ‘Medicine Sick Day Rules’ card lists medicines that should be temporarily stopped during a dehydrating illness – such as sickness and diarrhoea, a fever or flu like illness.

ACE inhibitors: a medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. Examples: names ending in ‘pril’ such as lisinopril, perindopril, Ramipril

ARBs: a medicine for high blood pressure and heart conditions. Examples: names ending in ‘sartan’ such as losartan, candesartan, valsartan.

Diuretics: sometimes called ‘water pills’ for excess fluid and high blood pressure. Examples: furosemide, bendroflumethiazide, indapamide, spironolactone.

Metformin: a medicine for diabetes.

NSAIDs: anti-inflammatory pain killers. Examples: ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac

SGLT2 Inhibitors: used for diabetes, heart failure and kidney disease, end in ‘flozin’ examples: canagliflozin and dapagliflozin.

For more information here is a link to a Patient information leaflet:

https://ihub.archive.nhsscotland.net/media/1401/20180424-web-medicine-sick-day-rules-patient-leaflet-web-v20.pdf

03/02/2026

Unfortunately, we are a clinician down due to illness. Please bear with us as we work through todays workload.

Address

The Balfour, Foreland Road
Kirkwall
KW151NZ

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 6pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6pm
Friday 8:30am - 6pm

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