Health / Walk-in clinic to open its doors on Saturday
The trial clinic will be open to everyone in Shetland
LERWICK’s new pilot walk-in health clinic is set to open this week, offering patients alternative access to urgent primary care-based help.
The service will be available to all patients, of all ages, in Shetland, including those not registered with a local GP practice.
The pilot will be introduced in phases. From the launch on Saturday 2 May, the service will operate 9am to 5pm, with the last drop-in slot 4.30pm, at weekends at the Grantfield site.
In the coming months, weekday hours will be added, with the aim of piloting full opening hours of Monday to Friday from 12pm until 8pm and at weekends from 9am to 5pm.
During the pilot, opening times and days may vary. Patients can check the NHS Shetland website and NHS Shetland social media channels for updates.
The Lerwick clinic is one of a number across Scotland being trialled by the Scottish Government, and it is expected to initially be piloted for 12 months.
Located opposite the Toll Clock shopping centre in Lerwick, the Grantfield site will continue to operate as a vaccination centre while also piloting the walk-in health clinic.
NHS Shetland said work is ongoing to adapt the space to support this dual use.
Patients attending the walk-in clinic will receive same-day assessment for urgent, non-life-threatening conditions typically managed in primary care or out-of-hours services.
This includes new or acute symptoms such as pain, rashes, fever or infections.
More information is available on this website.
NHS Shetland said the service is not intended for emergency care, ongoing management of long-term conditions, repeat prescriptions, medication reviews, minor injuries, administrative requests or specialist care.
Patients whose needs fall outside the scope of the service will be directed to the most appropriate care.
NHS Shetland added that limited toilet facilities will be available until further building work is carried out in June.
People using the service can expect to be seen by either a GP or an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
Dr Deepa Shah, associate medical director for primary care, said: “The pilot is a real opportunity for us to learn and evaluate how we can improve access to urgent primary care for people living in Shetland.
“The learning from the pilot will help us to plan how we shape services going forwards and base them on the needs of people in Shetland and how we integrate well between different teams delivering care.
“The walk-in clinic will work with the other services to help ensure that people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
“If you present with a condition that is better treated elsewhere or outside the scope of the service, staff will redirect you to other relevant services.”
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