🚨 Chest Pain – Important Information 🚨
If you are experiencing new or ongoing chest pain, please do not book a GP appointment.
👉 Go straight to A&E or call 999.
Here’s why:
- 🩸 The blood tests used to check for heart attacks (troponin) are time-sensitive and need repeating in hospital.
- ❤️ If your condition worsens, you are already in the safest place for urgent treatment.
- 📉 GPs in NHS Fife no longer have direct access to ECG machines, so we cannot do the tests required to rule out serious heart problems.
- 🏥 National guidance is clear: the fastest and safest way to be assessed is in hospital, not the GP surgery.
⚠️ Please remember: if you ever think you might be having a heart attack, treat it as an emergency – don’t delay.
Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe.
— Oakley Medical Practice
(Site updated 03/09/2025)