The Red Practice

The Doctors

Dr George Savage graduated from Glasgow University in 1982 and became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in 1986. His initial training in general practice was in Crieff and he attained Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners with distinction in 1987. He was in practice in Edinburgh from 1988 until his return to Crieff in 1996. He is the appointed Medical Officer to Morrison's Academy, Crieff Hydro and Ardvreck School. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians in the year 2000. Dr Savage has trained as a Medical Incident Officer. He is married to Dr Kirkwood and they have two boys. He is especially interested in cardiology, immediate care, dermatology, palliative care and diabetes.

Dr Peter Ewing graduated from Aberdeen University in 1992 and trained in general practice in Oxford. He is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and holds the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Diploma of the Faculty of Family Planning. He has also trained as a Medical Incident Officer. Dr Ewing’s particular interests are palliative care, psychiatry and the management of chronic pain. He is married with three children. He runs a weekly developmental screening and immunisation clinic for pre-school children with the health visitor. He is the trainer in practice.

Dr Helen Kirkwood graduated from Glasgow University in 1983. She trained in general practice in Glasgow and attained the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1985. She became a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 1987 and has also attained the Diploma of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. Dr Kirkwood has worked in general practice, community child health, family planning and well-woman screening. Her special interests are paediatrics and gynaecology.

Dr Sarah Carter graduated from Dundee University in 1995. She trained in general practice in Auchterarder after working in hospitals in Tayside and Stirling. She became a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners with Distinction in 2001 and has attained the Diplomas of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Faculty of Family Planning. She worked as a locum general practitioner locally before joining the practice.
Dr Carter’s clinical interests include dermatology, women’s health and paediatrics.

GP Registrar. As a training practice we have a GP Registrar working with us for a period of a year. He or she is a fully qualified doctor with considerable experience in other areas of medicine who is completing general practice training.
Medical students are attached to this practice.

Doctor Availability Standards

Routine Appointments With A Named Doctor
With the exception of holidays, study leave or illness, we guarantee to offer every patient who requests it an appointment with the doctor of their choice within five working days for the full-time doctors, or seven working days for the part-time doctors.

Routine Appointments With The First Available Doctor
We guarantee to offer each patient who requests it a routine appointment with the first available doctor within two working days.

Semi-urgent Appointments
If the patient feels that they need to be seen within one working day, they will be offered an appointment the next working day, although not necessarily with the doctor of their choice.

Urgent Requests
If the patient advises the receptionist that they need to be seen that day then they will always be offered an appointment on that day, although not necessarily with the doctor of their choice.

Practice Staff

The practice staff comprises the following:

Practice Manager

The practice manager is responsible for the smooth running and efficiency of the Medical Centre and may be able to help you with any administrative or non-medical aspects of your health care. The practice manager is also the practice complaints officer.

Receptionists/Data Input Clerks

We currently employ a number of staff who cover the reception desk: data input, typing, processing of repeat prescriptions and filing. They are there to help you and the doctors. They are all trained, confident and caring, and are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the doctors and nurses.

NURSING SERVICES AND HOW TO CONTACT THEM

Practice Nurses

Alison Deans and Louise Haldane

Both the practice nurses are registered nurses who have specialist training in long-term health problems, enabling patients to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Special interests include asthma, diabetes, heart disease prevention, women's health, men's health and travel medicine. Appointments for the practice nurses can be made at reception. The nurses work in close association with the doctors and can help and advise on immunisations, family planning, cervical smear tests, blood pressure checks, removal of sutures, diets and nutrition. They also hold clinics for asthma, diabetes, well-woman, skin problems and holiday health and travel advice.

District Nurses

These community nurses, who are highly-qualified, provide nursing care to those patients at home who are housebound and unable to attend the surgery. They are highly-trained and give nursing advice to the doctors and patients. They can be contacted directly by telephoning the Health Centre on 652257.

Health Visitors

These are registered nurses with extra training in public health and family health with particular emphasis on child development. They see all new babies at home once discharged from the midwife, then arrange and maintain regular contact until school age and beyond. Their direct number within the Medical Centre is 655535.

Community Midwives

The community midwives attend women before and after babies are born, at home or in clinics and classes. They act as a link between the hospital midwifery service and our practice. They are available every Monday and Wednesday morning between 9.30 and 11.00am.

If you wish to contact a midwife about any problems, please use the following numbers:

For URGENT matters please telephone 01738 473425. This is manned 24 hours a day and is the labour ward main line at Perth Royal Infirmary.

For NON-URGENT matters please telephone 01738 473406 and leave a message. This is an answering machine and the midwife will call you back.

If your baby has a FEEDING PROBLEM please telephone 01738 473436. This is manned 24 hours a day and is the Red Team postnatal ward at Perth Royal Infirmary.

Medical Education

Our practice is fortunate in being approved to provide training in general practice for experienced doctors who wish to become general practitioners.

There is usually at least one such registrar working with us at any one time.

Medical students may also join us for short periods to learn about general practice. A student may be present at the time of your appointment. You will be asked if this is OK when you make an appointment. Please say if you would prefer to see the doctor alone.