There is no GP Specialist Trainee at Glen Mor at present.

We are a three partner group practice in the West Highland town of Fort William and we have a list of over 5,500 patients who are largely concentrated in the communities of Fort William, Caol and Corpach. We are situated in west end of the Great Glen, close to Ben Nevis and 3 miles from the Aonach Mor Ski Centre. 

Fort William is the Outdoor Capital of the UK and offers a vast choice of activities all year round. Thousands of climbers and walkers come to Fort William each year. Ben nevis is majestic all year round. Aonach Mor is three miles from the surgery if you are interested in skiing/snowboarding.

There is tremendous scenery and outdoor facilities which attracts many tourists, especially in the summer who swell our patient numbers. Employment in the town also centres on the local Aluminium factory Liberty, the BSW sawmill and MOWI salmon farming industries.

We consider ourselves a very "patient orientated" practice and we believe we have a lot to offer a GP Registrar in general practice.

Premises

We have been in purpose built premises since 18 th May 2007, the Fort William Health Centre which is near the Lochaber High School. We have our own wing which is a delight to work in and has a warm welcoming atmosphere. 

All the three town practices share the building as well as District Nurses, Dietitions, Chiropody, Community Dentist, Art Therapy, Child Health,Physio, Community Mental Health team, Health Visitors, Learning Disability, etc. 

We are non dispensing group practice covering a vast geographical area. Many of our patients live more than three miles from the practice and a number of more distant communities, one of which is reached by ferry or a 70 mile round trip if the ferry is off! Another small community is reached on 23 miles of forestry road.

We have a strong teaching ethos in our practice and always enjoy having learners gain experience during their placements.  Our entire team are involved in teaching and we have a lot to offer to students and learners.    

Dr Elvire Feeney retired in April 2019 and was our approved Educational  Supervisor. We don't currently have an approved Educational Supervisor .  

Dr Joe Tangney formerly provided Medical Services to a local Salmon Farming Industry and was  an approved GP Trainer for 10 years.  He was also a medical student tutor for Aberdeen and Dundee Universities. 

Dr Lesley McGlynn has a special interest in Diabetes and holds a Diabetes Management BA in Health Studies in the UHI.  Dr McGlynn is medical student tutor for Dundee Unveristy .

Dr Becky Weir has an interest in Lifestyle Medicine and Low Carb living.

Dr Jane Hemm is a salaried GP and has an interest in women's health and family planning.

Dr Charlotte Cant moved from Alaska to join the team in 2017. She has an interest in women's health and family planning.

We are paperlite since Jan 2007 and use Vision / Docman software. 

There is tremendous potential to tap the vast database, which we now have on line and we would hope that the GP Registrar would be interested in exploiting this.

Our staff consist of Practice Manager, three Practice Nurses , eight Receptionists/Secretarial Staff.

We have District Nursing Sisters and Health Visitors attached to the Practice and regular "in-house" sessions from the Community Psychiatric Nurse, Dietician and Physiotherapist.

The practice has a portable defibrillator, paediatric pulse oximeter, portable ECG, 24 hour BP Machine, Spirometer and Doppler sonicaid for foetal heart and vascular flow; also a digital camera and nebulisers. 

For teaching purposes, we have equipped 2 consulting rooms with digital video cameras and monitors, an extensive practice library, access to the internet from each consulting room.

We are two miles from the local Belford Hospital which has acute Medical and Surgical beds together with a Rehabilitation Unit and in addition a six bedded Midwife led Maternity Unit, in which are delivered between thirty and fifty babies per year.

Outpatient Clinics are held in all the usual specialties, the Consultants coming from our District General Hospital, 66 miles away in Inverness. We have open access to X-ray and ultrasound locally.

In 1988-90 the Practice carried out an extensive study of 750 of our 20-50 year old male patients to elucidate risk factors for our high incidence of coronary heart disease. This was published in the Scottish Health Bulletin. We were pleased with a 74% response rate from our patients.

In 1998/99 this cohort was re-visited and 500 of the same group were revisited. The outcome was published in the British Journal of General Practice in September 2002. We are keen to continue our research and audit activities and hope a GP Registrar would be equally enthusiastic.

The Practice runs chronic disease clinics which are nurse led. CHD, COPD, Asthma and Diabetic Clinics and with two partners offering enhanced Minor Surgery.

Two doctors fit nexplanon implants and coils.

Joint injections are also available, mainly shoulder and knee. Some minor surgery is available.

There are day release courses in Inverness throughout the year and video conferencing is available. Locally the GPST group has regular scheduled meetings facilitated by the trainers from each of the three training practices.  GPSTs are encouraged to attend all courses and meetings in Inverness and locally. Previous GPSTs have taken full advantage of these opportunities.

Attendance at consultant outpatient sessions in the Belford Hospital in ENT, Dermatology, Paediatrics and Ophthalmology are arranged to suit the GP Registrars requirements.

The Lochaber Medical Society has been established for many years and also has monthly meetings with invited speakers from near and afar. This has changed in it's format recently but is under review. 

The practice will assist the GPST obtain suitable accommodation in Fort William if required.

Fort William town GPs can work in OOH if they wish on an individual basis as all the practices have opted out since the GP contract of 2004. The OOH service has a receptionist and a Primary Care Emergency Centre (PCEC) consulting room in the Belford Hospital outpatient Department. 

All telephone call are triaged through NHS 24 .

The GPST is expected to do approx 25 sessions over a twelve month period as directed by the North Deanery.

The practice meets every morning before surgery. Formal tutorial sessions take place twice a week and are with the Trainer and other partners in rotation. Much training is also informal, by the whole team. 

We have a weekly journal club which has been very helpful for our GPSTs. Also a significant event and Global team meeting once a month.

We have been a Training Practice since 1972 and in addition take Students on a regular basis from London, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Glasgow and have had three American and one German student in recent years. 

In Sept 2006 we had our first phase 4 medical students from the University of Aberdeen for a six week training block. One of the other two training practices in Fort William take phase 4 students which helps with the day release programme.

Since Sept 2015 we also have a final year Dundee medical student placement for four weeks once a year.

Local accommodation is arranged by the University for medical students.

Six of our previous GPSTs have found jobs as Principals in Fort William.

We feel we have a Practice in a most attractive area of Scotland and have much to offer a prospective GPST or medical student.