Appointments

If you have an urgent problem and cannot wait for a routine appointment, please call 01368 863226 from 8am and tell the receptionist, who will attend to you promptly.

Our reception team will ask you for details of why you need your appointment.  This is to ensure we are directing you to the most appropriate professional to deal with your problem.  The more information you can give the receptionist the more helpful this will be.

Please remember we are not an emergency service.  If you feel your problem is life threatening, please dial 999.

We will always try to offer you an appointment but due to high demand we currently have a waiting time of two to three weeks for routine appointments.  This may be longer if you wish to book with a specific GP.

please call 01368 863226 from 8am

Our reception team will ask you for details of why you need your appointment.  This is to ensure we are directing you to the most appropriate professional to deal with your problem.  The more information you can give the receptionist the more helpful this will be.

Across East Lothian, there are a wide range of health, medical and care services that can be accessed by getting in touch directly with the most appropriate health professionals first time around. 

You can GO DIRECT to a number of primary care services without needing to speak to a GP first by clicking on the link to the Right Care, Right Place page. 

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many ailments and you may be seen more quickly.

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. If you think you need a home visit please call reception before 10am.  Normally home visits take place after morning surgeries.  If you call after 10am then, if you need a home visit, it may not be done until the following day.

You should only request a home visit if you are permanently housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse or our health care assistant if you are referred by your GP.

Urgent home visits

If you have an urgent problem and think you might need a home visit that same day then please phone as early in the day as possible.

Please remember we are not an emergency service.  If you feel your problem is life threatening, please dial 999.

However you choose to contact us, we may offer you a consultation:

• by phone
• face to face at the surgery
• on a video call
• by text or email

Appointments by phone, video call or by text or email can be more flexible and often means you get help sooner.

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

To cancel your appointment:

• phone us on 01368 863226, Monday to Friday from 8am
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

The Lothian Unscheduled Care Service (LUCS) provides urgent medical care from Friday evening at 6pm until Monday morning at 8am and weekday evenings from 6pm to 8am the following morning.  

If you have an urgent problem that cannot wait until the surgery opens you can try checking the NHS Inform website or to contact LUCS please telephone NHS24 on 111.

Out-of-hours services are generally busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.

In an emergency you should call 999.  Chest pains or severe shortness of breath  or any possible signs of a stroke all constitute an emergency.

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
• if you need an interpreter
• if you have any other access or communication needs

The CTACS nurses visit Dunbar Medical Practice on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  if you require a dressing, wound care or are on a prescription for vitamin B12 injections.  The CTACS nurses will also take some blood tests when requested by hospital clinics (e.g. for cancer care or haematology).  For contact details please follow the CTACS link to the Right Care, Right Place page. 

CWIC Mental Health is a primary care service for people in East Lothian aged over 17 years and 9 months.  The team includes mental-health occupational therapists, mental-health nurses and primary care administrators, who are based at East Lothian Community Hospital, Haddington and Musselburgh Primary Care Centre.

The team works closely with GP practices, Adult Mental Health services and local third sector services to help you get the right support for your needs.   For contact details please follow the Mental Health link to the Right Care, Right Place page. 

Pharmacists and their teams are experts in medicine and can help with minor health concerns.  It is often worth speaking to a pharmacist before a GP.  Our reception team can let you know if your problems is something that can be dealt with at the pharmacy.

Our practice supports medical education and will occasionally provide opportunities for medical students to be present during surgery consultations.  This is a valuable educational experience for the doctors of the future, but if you would not like the student to be present during your consultation then just ask your doctor.