Isles of Scilly health information

This page has lots of helpful information about health services on the islands, whether you are a resident or just visiting.

Medical services on the Isles of Scilly are all based on St Mary’s.

Regular GP clinics are held on the off-islands* and visits can be made by the community nursing team as needed.

Travel will take around 20 to 30 minutes one way between St Mary’s Quay and any one of the off-islands.

*Off-islands: Bryer, St Agnes, St Martin’s, Tresco

Good to know about island life

Bad weather can disrupt transport links between islands and to the mainland. Visitors should bring enough medication to last beyond their planned visit.

Tide times impact on the ability of medical staff to travel between islands. Residents are asked to arrive at planned clinics in plenty of time as staff may need to leave promptly to catch the tide.

Pharmacy

Location

Isles of Scilly Pharmacy, St Mary’s Health Centre, King Edward Lane, TR21 0HE

Opening times

Monday to Friday:

• 9am to 1pm
• 2pm to 5.30pm

Saturday:

• 9.30am to midday

Contact

• Telephone: 01720 422 021
• Facebook: Isles of Scilly Pharmacy | Hugh Town | Facebook – please note this page is not routinely monitored.

Due to the premises being very small, to ensure confidentiality the pharmacy operates a ‘one party at a time’ rule. This allows staff to speak to each patient without fear of being overheard.

A consultation room is offered for more in-depth or sensitive consultations. If you would prefer to speak to the pharmacist in the consultation room, this is available on request at any time.

What can island pharmacists help with?

• Dispensing prescriptions, including an emergency supply of most prescribed medicines. Emergency supplies are at the discretion of the pharmacist. A charge may apply.
• Treatment for some minor ailments such as urinary tract (water) infections, shingles, and skin conditions.
• Over the counter medicines.
• Consultations and advice (including referrals from GPs and NHS 111).
• Support and advice for people on newly prescribed medicines or recently discharged from hospital.
• Vaccination services.
• NHS contraception service including contraceptive pills and health checks for patients aged up to 45.
• Free condoms and sexual health advice for under 25s.
• Emergency contraception (free of charge).
• Blood pressure checks.
• Weight management referrals.

Pharmacy services for off-islanders

Off-islanders can access advice from a pharmacist over the phone, and purchase items remotely via card payment. These can be collected in person from St Marys, or as below.

Tresco

There is a courier collection from the pharmacy every Wednesday.

Other islands

Medications can be taken to the islands on the days when the GP clinics run.

Postal service (Bryher, St. Agnes, St. Martins)

Medications are also sent from St Marys Post Office to these off-island post offices, once a week on a Friday.

Please note: Prescriptions need to be paid for prior to sending, or patients should inform the pharmacy team of any exemption that applies.

Prescriptions advice for visitors

Visitors from England

To access a prescription, visitors should contact their own GP surgery in the first instance and give them the pharmacy ODS and postcode (see below). This enables the surgery to prescribe via the electronic prescription service (EPS). Most GP surgeries in England are able to do this.

• ODS code: FW634
• Postcode: TR21 0HE

If the visitor’s own surgery cannot accommodate, visitors should speak to the pharmacist to discuss their needs.

Visitors from Wales or Scotland

EPS is not currently possible, so visitors should discuss their needs with the pharmacist in the first instance.

Emergency supply of medication

To be considered for an emergency supply, the patient should have a face-to-face consultation with the pharmacist.

Where this is not possible, we do need to speak to the patient direct; we cannot help via a third person. Under the discretion of the pharmacist, we can do a telephone consultation.

GP surgery

Location

St Mary’s Health Centre, King Edward Lane, TR21 0HE

Opening times

• Monday, 8.30am to 6.30pm
• Tuesday to Thursday, 8am to 6.30pm
• Friday, 8.30am to 6.30pm
• Saturday, 9.30am to 11.30am

Contact

• Telephone: 01720 422628
• Website: scillyhealth.co.uk
• Facebook: St Mary’s Health Centre, Isles of Scilly | Hugh Town | Facebook

What can the island GPs help with?

A wide range of health services, including medical advice, vaccinations, examinations and treatment, prescriptions for medicines, referrals to other health services and social services.

There is a range of professionals who can look after you. The surgery offers telephone, video and face-to-face appointments.

Out of hours

When the surgery is closed you should contact NHS 111 online or by phone in the first instance. If needed, the local on-call GP will be contacted.

What should off-islanders do?

Where a face-to-face appointment is needed, residents can book to attend their local GP clinic by phoning St Mary’s Health Centre, or can attend at St Mary’s.

Bryher

Alternate Thursday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm.

Bryher Reading Room, TR23 0PR

St. Martins

Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm.

St Martins Reading Room, Highertown, TR25 0QL

St.Agnes

Alternate Thursday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm.

The Reading Room, St Agnes, TR22 0PL

Tresco

Tuesday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm.

Tresco Reading Room, TR24 0PW

Advice for visitors (including emergency prescriptions)

Please contact your own GP in the first instance for any health concerns. Your GP can arrange for a prescription to be sent to the pharmacy on St Mary’s, including an emergency supply of your routine medicines.

Hospital and minor injury unit (MIU)

Location

St Mary’s Community Hospital, Belmont, St Mary’s, TR21 0LE

Opening times

24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact

• Telephone: 01720 422392
• Website: cornwallft.nhs.uk/st-marys-community/

Facilities

St Mary’s Community Hospital provides inpatient care and outpatient clinics.

There is a minor injury unit (MIU) and an X-ray facility (by appointment only, on a Thursday).

Minor injury unit (MIU)

This is a nurse-led service. The team can treat a range of minor conditions, including:

• sprains and strains
• minor fractures
• minor burns and scalds
• head injuries (where the person has not been unconscious)
• insect and animal bites and stings
• minor eye injuries
• cuts, bruising, and grazes

Dentist

Location

St Mary’s Dental Centre, Hospital Lane, St Mary’s, TR21 0LQ

Opening times

Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 5.15pm with patients advised to call between 8.45am and 9am to be triaged for dental emergencies.

Contact

• Telephone: 0333 405 0291, option 5
• Facebook: SmileTogetherIoS

What can the island dentist help with?

A dentist and nurse provide urgent and emergency care for residents and visitors to the island at St Mary’s Dental Centre.

There is some general NHS (including orthodontics for young people on referral) and private provision for island residents, but not the full range of NHS dental care.

Out of hours

If you are a resident or visitor with a dental emergency, call 0333 405 0290.

What is a dental emergency?

• Severe trauma to teeth (eg tooth knocked out) and/or facial skeleton (this may require onward referral to hospital)
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Dental infection, fever, facial swelling that hasn’t responded to antibiotics or pain relief and which is increasing in size

Further information

• The dentist often visits educational and care settings on the Isles of Scilly, to provide oral health advice, guidance and training to encourage effective toothbrushing and oral health care in the home environment.
• You can browse Smile Together’s online Patient Hub for lots of information about visiting the dentist and looking after your oral health.

Life-threatening emergencies

When to call 999 for an adult

• Signs of a heart attack:
  chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest
• Signs of a stroke:
  face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking
• Sudden confusion (delirium):
  cannot be sure of own name or age
• Suicide attempt:
  by taking something or self-harming
• Severe difficulty breathing:
  not being able to get words out, choking or gasping
• Choking on liquids or solids right now
• Heavy bleeding:
  spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle
• Severe injuries:
  after a serious accident or assault
• Seizure (fit):
  shaking or jerking because of a fit, or unconscious (cannot be woken up)
• Sudden, rapid swelling:
  of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue

When to call 999 for a child

• Seizure (fit):
  shaking or jerking because of a fit, or unconscious (cannot be woken up)
• Choking on liquids or solids right now
• Difficulty breathing:
  making grunting noises or sucking their stomach in under their ribcage
• Unable to stay awake:
  cannot keep their eyes open for more than a few seconds
• Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, tongue or lips:
  on brown or black skin, grey or blue palms or soles of the feet
• Limp and floppy:
  their head falls to the side, backwards or forwards
• Heavy bleeding:
  spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle
• Severe injuries:
  after a serious accident or assault
• Signs of a stroke:
  face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking
• Sudden rapid swelling:
  of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue
• Sudden confusion:
  agitation, odd behaviour, or non-stop crying

If you’re not sure what to do, NHS 111 can help.

Healthwatch Isles of Scilly

Healthwatch is the independent champion for people who use health and social care services; we are here to make sure that those who are running services put people at the heart of care.

Our sole purpose is to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use health and social care services, and to speak out on their behalf.

We are here to listen to what you like about health and care services, and what you think could be improved. No matter how big or small the issue, we want to hear about it. We focus on ensuring that people’s worries and concerns about current services are addressed.

Where possible, we will let you know when changes are planned to services in our community and help you have a say. We will also encourage those in charge of local care to involve you when changes are being planned to services. We work to get services right for the future.

You can also speak to us to find information about health and social care services that are available locally.

Location

Unit 1, Gleaner House, Buzza Street, St Mary’s, TR21 0HW

Opening times

Monday to Thursday, 9.30am to 1.30pm

Contact

• Telephone: 01720 423037
• Email: contact@healthwatchislesofscilly.co.uk
• Website: www.healthwatchislesofscilly.co.uk
• Facebook: Healthwatch Isles of Scilly

Recruitment

Council of the Isles of Scilly job vacancies, including care jobs and casual care roles: https://scilly.gov.uk/council/jobs-council