Came to Scotland a got a sinus infection. Called late one afternoon and had an appointment the next…read moremorning with Wayne, an awesome doctor. He examined me and got me and my vacation back on track.

I am an American who was in Edinburgh in July when I contracted a UTI. I had read somewhere that a…read morepublic hospital will treat foreigners at little to no cost, but I didn't think a UTI warranted a hospital visit. I called Boots and was referred to YourGP. I decided to walk as it seemed to be less than 15 minutes from New Town where we were staying. The location is tricky, however ... the street YourGP is difficult to find plus you enter from the back of the clinic (at least, I did). Once I was there, however, I was diagnosed and treated promptly. The visit was 100 pounds and the medicine was 30 pounds. Total cost was about $165 but I was grateful for the courtesy and speed! I definitely recommend this place.

This internet high five goes out to Dr. Rudman…read more But i'm going to preface this impending gush fest with a word of warning: I saw another GP here on an emergency appointment and had one of the worst experiences i've ever had at the doctors. There were tears. It was not pleasant. What GP you get on your first go is luck of the draw, as there are a handful of doctors that work out of this practice on rotation. If you get one you like: woohoo! You can look up what days they work online and make appointments with them specifically (though you'll likely have to wait a few weeks unless it's urgent). If you get one you don't: don't panic. Make note of their name and go back on a day they aren't working. May the odds be ever in your favour. (heh.) Ok, onto the jolly stuff. So I have a few ongoing health conditions (it gets jolly soon, I promise)... if my mind and my body had a sitcom, it'd be a hoot. My mind would be all "Ooo look at that shiny thing! Let's go build a fort! Unicorns!" and my body would say, "I hate you." Hilarious! Back in Canada, I had a dream team of doctor types (see Dr. James Dunne's review), so I was really hesitant to start all over again when I moved to Edinburgh, especially when I found out the appointments are only ten minutes. See that sitcom above? That sitcom is longer than ten minutes. But I lucked out. I registered with The Blue Practice (which was confusing as heck, but see Stockbridge Medical Centre review for that cheerful gripe) and Dr. Rudman was the first person I saw. I had returned from Canada the day before and let's just say, I was basically a walking zombie, if walking zombies had emotions and were blubbering idiots on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Dr. Rudman handled it like a pro (which... ok, you'd kind of expect.). He was calm, professional and informative. We set up our next appointment and he's been my go-to brain/body balancer ever since. He also took the steps to get me in touch with some specialists and slowly but surely, i'm building the dream team once more. Ten minutes isn't enough time to work miracles. We didn't have a deep and meaningful conversation. No mountains were moved. But I left feeling better and more confident moving forward that I had some of the building blocks in place... you can't really ask for more than that can you? Plus, once you get past the registration woes (likely expat confusion) and strange appointment wait times (probably expat confusion), the practice is pretty straight forward. The gals at the counter are pleasant and they have a fancy pants automatic check in. So when you are a blubbering mess and don't want to interact with other humans, it's an added bonus point. So if you find a GP you like, this place is aces. Go forth and be healthy Yelpers!

This is the short and sweet kind of review:…read more My poor wee eye was all red and hot and itchy recently and I'd no idea why. I wandered into the Blue Practice, just half an hour before close, and they were able to get me an emergency appointment, and fast. I left with two magical potions which are clearing up the problem. Health comes first and it's so easy to worry about a problem. So, I really appreciate that the Blue Practice and Dr. Drummond could put my worries at bay and give me a solution there and then.

This is possibly one of the most important services I have used in Edinburgh, and I am surprised…read morethat it has not been reviewed so far, so here goes. The Richard Verney Health Centre in Bristo Square is the health centre for the University of Edinburgh, and is situated directly on the university campus, just off Bristo Square. It provides the service of doctors and nurses to students and residents alike. There are a couple of great things about this place. The obvious one of these is the location. Besides that, the first great thing is their open access surgery. This runs from Monday to Friday, every morning between 9 and 10am. During this time, you can turn up without an appointment and see a doctor. This is great if something comes up, or you need some quick advice. Be warned - it does get very busy, especially during term time, so arrive as close to 9am as possible if you want a quick appointment. In the other clinics and surgeries that operate during the day at the centre, the appointments tend to run pretty close to time. Some surgeries can run horribly late, but I don't think that I have ever been in more than 15 minutes after the scheduled appointment time. The other great thing about this place is that there is a pharmacy in the same building, so no need for a long walk to get prescriptions or other pharmacy supplies. As a student, I feel that registering with a health centre is a must, and if you're a student at the University of Edinburgh, then this facility is a no-brainer.

Good organisation, easy location, good number of doctors, onsite pharmacy…read more Plus if you're like me and don't ever plan ahead there is a drop in every morning - if you turn up between 9-10 you will be seen by a doctor. Sure I've had to wait around for a while sometimes but worth it for not having to plan weeks in advance. Probably less good if you drive but for cyclists walking it's fine.

This is my GP practice for over 8 years now. It is very…read moreconveniently located just of Elm Row in Stockbridge. The building itself is in need of upgrading but it is not that bad as it is a recent enough build. Accessible for wheelchair users. The Medical Center is occupied by 2 GP practices. mine is Dr Tolley's one. The GPs in this practice tend to stay a long time (2+ years or so). I feel really taken care of and listened to. The doctors I have consulted really take time to hear me out and find out what is wrong. They also have medical assistants and practice nurses, whom are efficient and very friendly (bar 1 or 2 occasions). As I have a chronic condition I require repeat prescriptions. Which they let me order by email. Opening times are until 6pm which makes it good for when you finish work and still need to visit them - saves taking time of work! Good job Dr Tolley!

There are two separate practices within the same building. So don't get confused between the two!…read moreI'm registered with Dr Tolley who are on the left hand side when you're facing the waiting room door. The reception, doctors and nurses have always been great and I've never had too much trouble getting an appointment. You can request to see the same doctor but I'm usually happy to see whichever doctor is available as I've only been in for fairly minor issues. All the doctors have been friendly and have been good about listening to what I've had to say. The nurses are always relaxed and kind and good at making sure I'm comfortable. No complaints at all.

Worst general practice I've ever been to. I've made two appointments now for severe anxiety and…read moredepression, I've been turned away by two 'doctors' now. I never asked for prescriptions all I asked for was a refferal for therapy but apparently this is too much to ask. None of these doctors will move a muscle for their patients, I was finally offered the most pathetic letter I've ever read which was supposed to be for a referral, I told the doctors I was self harming and having thoughts of killing myself but both of these doctors have turned a blind eye and not given a care and I was basically told to just go somewhere else with my problems. Don't waste your time with this practice, no one here will care about you or your health care needs.

I would like to give them no stars at all! Rude and unhelpful front desk staff. Not sure that the…read moredoctors are up to much either - apart from Dr Gates. No continuity of care. Don't deliver what they say they will. Generally very poor. Wouldn't use this practice if we didn't have to - actually we don't have to...

Ask any Edinburgh parent about the Sick Kids and you'll probably get a broadly similar response…read more It's an amazing resource for the city and a reminder that free access to healthcare professionals who really care is something for which we should be extremely grateful. I recently had to take my son in with an inexplicably (very) painful knee. The staff were unstintingly kind and turned what could have been quite a traumatic experience into something that bordered on fun ("I love having my bloods taken out"). We're not just talking toys in the waiting room - there was an 'art cart' loaded with fancy pens, stencils and bits to colour in and take home. Communication was superb, with both me and with Sam - he was never excluded or talked down to. He likes to know what's going on and I'm confident that the fact they involved him so much made the tests more bearable. Even beyond the treatment, staff members passing us in the waiting area often stopped to ask how we were doing and have a quick chat. The staff were extremely thorough, gave him loads of time and didn't diagnose him until they were confident they'd ruled out the more serious possibilities in several appointments over the course of a week. Obviously I hope we don't have too many return visits, but I'm confident that if we are ever back we'll get brilliant, personal care in a really sensitive, child-focused environment.

This place has been a blessing for the many parents whose children have needed hospital treatment…read morein the city. parents know that chidren will get the best specialist care possible if their kids need to go there. The place is loved by the city and often specialist equipment is bought on the back of fundraising campaigns organised by the Friends and well publicised through the local papers. The current building is in need of upgrading and is really too small for the purpose.

My local GP and I have no issues here and this is better than my previous practice…read more I've got a great GP here so she is really thorough and I've found the nurses to be stellar too. I've been able to either speak to someone on the phone or get an emergency appointment to see someone quickly. They also have early morning appointments before 8am which is great for those of us who have a full time job but you will need to book these in advance. So, great health centre and fortunate to be registered here.

I have been registered at this medical practice for 2 years and have had very mixed service. When…read moreyou make an appointment, it will be with any of the GPs, unless perhaps it is a follow up appointment and you specify whcih doctor you need to see. Without naming names, there is one doctor I have seen twice that is unfriendly and didn't seem interested in helping me at all. In contrast, I have since seen a different doctor who was very friendly, thorough and good at explaning things. I have also found the nurses great too. There is a self check-in screen, which is great, as it means you don't have to wait for reception staff to be free. You just click a few buttons and then take a seat in the waiting room. I have found the doctors tend to be running 10-20 minutes over time and the nurses more punctual. It is quite hard to get appointments outside 9-5 business hours. There is only one day a week that is open for extra early appointments, but these are usually booked well in advance. There is an NHS physiotherapy and podiatry service connected to the medical centre too. I have had physiotherapy here, which has been a good experience.

Yay! I'm a fan. But really, I'm not. I mean, how does one review such an invasive place that you…read moreonly go to because you really really have to, because you really really should, for your sake and for the sake of others? I've been, as I'm hoping most people in Edinburgh have. The experience was exactly what I expected it would be (except they seemed to have trouble getting my left arm to give blood willingly). The deal with this place, if you're not organised enough to get yourself an appointment, is to get there at the crack of dawn. By that, I mean 8 o'clock. Because that's when the drop-in is, and the earlier you get there, the less time you have to wait. What I've done in the past is get there excruciatingly early, and then go to the Two Thin Laddies down the road and get breakfast. Everyone in the waiting room is just too zombified for my liking. You have to do the usual paperwork there, though there're always the hilariously invasive questions, such as: have you ever had sex with someone bisexual, or someone from Africa. If you answer yes to both of these, chances are they'll send you to a shrink before you get tested just to make sure if you get positive HIV result, you won't throw yourself in front of a bus. Which is, kind of, fair enough. Go there. Not for fun. But because you should. Now.

Lauriston Buildings has a wide range of healthcare departments such as Ear, nose and throat,…read moreaudiology, dermatology, dental services and orthopaedics. I regularly visit the audiology department for hearing aid repairs and batteries and the staff are always so friendly and provide a quick and thorough service, J. JaKobs is wonderful. The X-ray and ultrasound department however I feel the staff could be a bit friendlier and more helpful. I visited recently and my impression of the consultant was that she wanted you in, don't ask questions and get out, so I definitely thought she needed to work on her bedside manner. The cafe was a bit dire too, not much on offer, nothing that looked extremely appetising and hot drinks came in polystyrene cups which in this day and age is extremely basic. The staff (a man and a woman) although good at their jobs, friendly, polite and hardworking, it seemed they were both trying to compete to see who could do the most jobs, who could do them better, who was in charge. So although Lauriston Buildings offer a great service and most staff members are polite and friendly, the building itself and the cafe needs updated and modernised.