It's about giving patients safe, convenient and comprehensive access to treatment and care services that are located within the community where they live. It's about re-designing services in Primary Care as part of a national strategy. As the first step, GPs identified areas of their service that could be provided in a way that made sure patients were seen by the right person at the right time.
At the moment these services are provided in a number of different ways: by GPs and practice staff in practices; by Health Board staff in community hospitals, treatment rooms, and Minor Injury and Illness Units. Some elements of treatment and care services are carried out in secondary care. Responsibility to provide some of these services has moved from GP practices and their staff to NHS staff in the newly developing Community Treatment & Care Services.
Primary Care Improvement - Community Treatment & Care Services
What's it all about?
What kind of services are they?
| Type of Care | Given by |
| Wound care management | Registered Nurse or Healthcare Support Worker |
| Leg Ulcer assessment and treatment | Registered Nurse or Healthcare Support Worker |
| Ear wax management | Registered Nurse or Healthcare Support Worker |
| Blood tests | Registered Nurse or Healthcare Support Worker |
| Monitoring of chronic disease | Registered Nurse or Healthcare Support Worker |
You should be able to get treatment locally for wound care management, leg ulcer assessment and treatment, and management of ear wax. You can also expect to have blood tests carried out by this service. This care will be given by a Registered Nurse or a Healthcare Support Worker. If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular or chronic kidney disease, or thyroid, your health can now be monitored by Nurses or Healthcare Support Workers through your local Community Treatment & Care Service.
Your results will still be returned to your requesting GP or Clinician for ongoing management.
Does ear wax management mean my ears will be syringed?
No it doesn't. For the majority of people ear-syringing is not clinically necessary and in some cases it might do more harm than good. The same or better results can be achieved by non-invasive procedures such as olive oil or equivalent wax-softening drops, which also have fewer risks for patients. You can get more advice from your local community pharmacy, your GP practice, or online at NHS Inform: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/earwax-build-up.
Where will we go for all these things?
Dundee
In Dundee the Health Board will provide some services from separate buildings - for example in a community hub with other health, social, community and voluntary services. Some services may still be carried out within your GP practice by Health Board staff. Some of these services are still being fully developed.
Angus
In Angus the community nursing teams will provide care for leg ulcers. All the other services are being provided in four centres: at Arbroath Infirmary, in Whitehills Community Care Centre in Forfar, at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin, and in Links Health Centre in Montrose. If your GP practice is not in one of these towns or close to them, these services will also be provided from your practice.
Perth and Kinross
To find out about all the Community Care and Treatment Services in Perth and Kinross, click on the heading at the bottom of this page.
Remote and Rural
In some exceptional circumstances such as small remote and rural practices, the best arrangement may be for the GP practice to provide this care. Wherever they are based, the main focus will be on making sure that patient safety, person-centred care and sustainability remain at the heart of these services as they develop.
Pre-hospital bloods
Future plans include making community treatment and care services available for use by secondary care as well as primary care. For example, pre-hospital clinic bloods could be carried out for a consultant without having to go through the GP practice staff. This will benefit patients by not having to travel to the hospital as they can get the tests done closer to home.
In Dundee the Health Board will provide some services from separate buildings - for example in a community hub with other health, social, community and voluntary services. Some services may still be carried out within your GP practice by Health Board staff. Some of these services are still being fully developed.
Angus
In Angus the community nursing teams will provide care for leg ulcers. All the other services are being provided in four centres: at Arbroath Infirmary, in Whitehills Community Care Centre in Forfar, at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin, and in Links Health Centre in Montrose. If your GP practice is not in one of these towns or close to them, these services will also be provided from your practice.
Perth and Kinross
To find out about all the Community Care and Treatment Services in Perth and Kinross, click on the heading at the bottom of this page.
Remote and Rural
In some exceptional circumstances such as small remote and rural practices, the best arrangement may be for the GP practice to provide this care. Wherever they are based, the main focus will be on making sure that patient safety, person-centred care and sustainability remain at the heart of these services as they develop.
Pre-hospital bloods
Future plans include making community treatment and care services available for use by secondary care as well as primary care. For example, pre-hospital clinic bloods could be carried out for a consultant without having to go through the GP practice staff. This will benefit patients by not having to travel to the hospital as they can get the tests done closer to home.
