Our Online Consulting platform allows you:

• To seek self-help information from the NHS, through our surgery website. Services include self-help information, advice or help from local services which may be appropriate for your condition, such as self-referral services or help from your local pharmacy.
• To seek medical advice online from Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre for your condition.
• To seek general or administrative advice (e.g. for insurance forms, fit-notes, referrals, secure messaging to admin and reception staff, etc).
• Request repeat medication. We always recommend patients use the NHS app to request repeat medications but when this is not possible (e.g. requesting medications on behalf of children or asking for something you have had before but isn’t a repeat), you can use our Online Consulting form.

Why use Online Consulting?

Since July 2020, General Practice in the UK has faced unprecedented demand (up to 40% more than pre-Covid levels). This demand has increased even further since the easing of lockdown in Spring 2021. The ongoing GP retention and recruitment crisis has meant that the number of GPs in the workforce has not increased to meet the extra demand so tools such as online consulting are essential to ensure safe and efficient prioritisation of patients’ needs. Online consulting allows clinicians to gather as much information from patients as possible so that safe and appropriate management can then be planned.

Another key benefit of Online Consulting is the convenience it offers you as our patient – meaning you can ask for advice from us without having to queue on the phone or wait weeks for an appointment which may not actually be required. You can complete the Online Consulting Form from the comfort of your own home, on a break at work, or on the train home.

Queries can be clinical or administrative in nature, and in many cases, we may not need to see you face-to-face meaning those that really need to see a GP face-to-face are more able to do so.

If you decide you want to manage your condition without contacting Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre, our Online Consulting Platform can guide you towards trusted medical advice as well as relevant local services, such as pharmacy support, which may be more appropriate than visiting the surgery.

Our Online Consulting Platform should not be used for emergencies.

Please note that the online consultation link/secure messaging is available only between 08:00 and 15:30 on weekdays (excluding Bank Holidays) and is not available at weekends.

You can also visit our Consulting Room for further information.