Self help
Trusted NHS advice and local services to help you get the right support quickly.
Not every health problem needs a GP appointment. The links below point to trusted NHS services. They open in a new tab and are provided by other organisations.
Looking for the right person for a specific problem? Try our A to Z: Who should I see? For test results, sick and fit notes, and private forms and reports, see Services.
What do you need today?
Choose a topic and we will point you to the quickest way to get help.
Pick a topic below, or read the detailed guidance further down this page.
Choosing the right service
For a life threatening emergency: severe chest pain, signs of a stroke, severe breathing difficulty, severe bleeding, a collapse, a seizure, or a severe allergic reaction.
When the practice is closed and you need urgent advice, or you are not sure how serious a problem is. NHS 24 can direct you to the most suitable service.
For many everyday illnesses, your pharmacist can give advice and treatment through NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, usually without an appointment. See our local pharmacies below.
Illnesses and conditions A to Z
Trusted information on symptoms, causes and treatments from NHS inform.
nhsinform.scot →Check your symptoms
Answer a few questions to find out what to do next and which service can help.
nhs24.scot →Self help guides
Step by step guides for common problems, including what to do if you run out of medicine.
nhsinform.scot →Pharmacy First Scotland
How your local pharmacy can help with many common conditions.
nhsinform.scot →Local pharmacies
These are the community pharmacies closest to the practice. All of them offer NHS Pharmacy First Scotland. When your browser supports it, each pharmacy below shows whether it is open right now. Opening times are based on each pharmacy's regular hours — please check with the pharmacy directly to confirm, particularly around public holidays, when hours often differ. Some close for lunch, so please phone before making a special trip, or check Scotland's service directory for current hours.
- Rowlands Pharmacy, John Street
- 27 John Street, Penicuik EH26 8HN · 01968 673 939
- Numark Pharmacy, Edinburgh Road
- 22 Edinburgh Road, Penicuik EH26 8NW · 01968 676 868
- Penicuik Pharmacy
- 44a John Street, Penicuik EH26 8AB · 01968 673 633 · prescription collection machine available 24 hours a day
- Roslin Pharmacy
- 122 Penicuik Road, Roslin EH25 9NT · 0131 440 2596
- West Linton Pharmacy
- Main Street, West Linton EH46 7EE · 01968 660 212
Mental health and wellbeing
If you are struggling, support is available. You do not have to wait for an appointment.
- MHARS (Midlothian)
- 0800 118 2962 · daily 8am to 8pm, ages 18 and over
- Breathing Space
- 0800 83 85 87
- Samaritans
- 116 123 · free, day or night
- NHS 24
- 111 for urgent mental health support
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.
NHS services you can contact directly
You can contact these local NHS services yourself. No GP referral is needed.
- Travel Clinic
- 0131 537 2823 · travel vaccinations and advice, self-referral. Contact them well before you travel, as some vaccine courses take weeks. NHS Lothian Travel Clinics
- Podiatry
- 0131 536 1627 · assessment and treatment for eligible foot problems. Self-referral is available; the service decides whether NHS podiatry is the appropriate route.
- Dental emergency
- 0131 536 4800 · urgent dental care when you cannot reach a dentist
- Chalmers Sexual Health
- 0131 536 1070 · contraception, testing and sexual health care
- Quit Your Way
- 0131 537 9914 · free NHS Midlothian support with quit planning, behavioural support and stop-smoking medicines where suitable. How to get help to stop smoking
- Vaccination Helpline
- 0300 790 6296 · NHS Lothian vaccination appointments and queries
- Patient transport
- 0300 123 1236 · Scottish Ambulance Service transport to hospital appointments, if you cannot travel for medical reasons
- Breast screening
- 0131 537 7400
- Diabetic eye screening
- 0131 536 4145
- Physiotherapy
- See our physiotherapy and self-referral guidance for current routes.
- Community midwives
- 01968 672 612 · antenatal and postnatal care, advice and planned clinics. Clinics are normally held at the practice on Thursdays by appointment. Maternity booking: 0131 536 2009.
- Community (district) nurses
- 01968 671 535 · based at Penicuik Health Centre. They provide nursing care in the community for housebound people and those temporarily unable to attend, including wound and continence support where within the service remit.
- Health visitors
- 0131 440 7832 · specialist public-health nurses supporting families from pregnancy to age 5 with child development, feeding, sleep, behaviour, wellbeing, safety, additional needs and safeguarding. An answering machine is available.
Going abroad? Check your timing
Some travel vaccine courses take 6 to 8 weeks. Tell us when you travel and we will tell you how urgent it is.
Contact the Travel Clinic on 0131 537 2823 well before you travel, as some vaccine courses take weeks to complete.
Find a local service
Search NHS inform's directory for services near you:
Common questions
What can Pharmacy First help with?
Community pharmacies can advise and treat many minor illnesses, including coughs and colds, sore throats, indigestion, constipation, hay fever and some skin, eye and urine problems. The pharmacist will direct you elsewhere when needed.
Do I need an appointment for Pharmacy First?
Usually not. You can contact or attend a community pharmacy directly, although opening times and consultation arrangements vary.
Should I contact a GP about a dental problem?
Contact a dentist for toothache, dental infection, broken teeth, abscesses and gum problems. A GP cannot provide dental treatment.
Who should assess an eye problem?
An optometrist is usually the best first contact for red or painful eyes, vision changes, flashes, floaters and many minor eye injuries. Seek urgent help for sudden or severe symptoms.
Where should I go with a recent minor injury?
Call NHS 24 on 111 first. They can assess the injury and arrange a scheduled Minor Injuries appointment when appropriate.
Where do I arrange travel vaccinations?
Travel vaccination advice is provided by the NHS Lothian Travel Clinic, not through a routine GP appointment. Contact the clinic well before travelling.
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