Tasters and how to apply
What is a Taster?
A taster is a period of time, usually two to five days, spent in a specialty in which you have not previously worked.
Its purpose is to enable the development of insight into the work of a specialty/ general practice, promote careers reflection and 'lifestyle' of a speciality.
During your Foundation training you may apply for a maximum of two Taster weeks. Tasters are available for both F1 and F2 and we would usually suggest that they are taken at any time from the end of the first post in F1 through to the end of F2.
All Tasters should be well planned and focused. In order to support these experiences foundation doctors must agree a set of aims and objectives that will be achieved during the Tasters which can be included as part of a Turas Training Portfolio. To fully benefit from Tasters, Foundation doctors should discuss their career aspirations with their Educational Supervisor and/or Foundation Programme Director.
Tasters help support foundation doctors onto the correct career path and foundation doctors are encouraged to use these days and apply using Turas Study Leave application process.
Please also see the link to the pages on the UKFPO website.
- Process Flowchart [PDF]
This process must be followed even if the taster takes place during annual leave and weekly leave. This is due to insurance reasons as some locations incur "hidden" costs to NES.
The application for a Taster should take place after discussion with the foundation doctors Educational Supervisor so that the aspirations of the foundation doctor are likely to be met by the taster.
For leave to be granted, the following will be required:
- After first confirming with Service that the proposed taster days can be accommodated
- A Study Leave application must be completed via Turas by the foundation doctor giving at least 6-8 weeks' notice to the Service for this leave
- Please ensure that you specify as part of the application the location/hospital and specialty in which the taster will be undertaken
- All requests for a Taster MUST be made through the study leave applications process on Turas
- Leave must only be arranged when a foundation doctor is due to be working normal days
- The aims and objectives of the taster and the reasons for choosing the specialty should be detailed on the foundation Turas Training Portfolio as part of the Taster Form
- Written or e-mail acceptance from the supervising Consultant for the taster should be included in the foundation doctors Turas Training Portfolio
- No expenses will be given for taster leave
The Process
Step 1: The foundation doctor identifies the specialty in which they want to experience a tasterThe foundation doctor will be informed by e-mail from their Foundation Programme Director whether their application has been approved or not through the study leave process.
After the taster the foundation doctor will need to provide the following:
- they must reflect upon their experience and complete the Taster Form in the Turas Portfolio which can be linked FPC 13
- they must consider whether their original aims and objectives were met by the taster
A Taster should be no more than five days per Taster will be allowed for this experience.
Only one Taster can be taken per block and no more than five days can be taken per specialty.
The maximum number throughout Foundation is two Tasters (N.B. not two Tasters per training year).
If your supervisor agrees, you may take both Tasters in F1 or in F2 or you may wish to take one Taster in each training year.
Ideally this would take place within your current employing Board, as this would facilitate both the organisation and monitoring of such an experience.
It will be the responsibility of the foundation doctor to organise these Tasters.
The foundation doctor must obtain approval from the current supervisors that the dates for the Tasters are suitable and that there is acceptance from the supervising Consultant.
The Scottish Foundation School will only approve tasters within your current home region of training unless the experience cannot be provided locally e.g. remote and rural GP.
The Foundation School will not approve Tasters abroad or out-with Scotland.
Specialty Contacts
All departments within Ninewells Hospital unless otherwise stated.
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Specialty |
Training Programme Director |
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Acute (Internal) Medicine |
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Anaesthetics |
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Cardiology |
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Clinical Radiology |
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Core Psychiatry |
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Dermatology |
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Diagnostic Neuropathology |
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Emergency Medicine |
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Endocrinology and Diabetes |
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Gastroenterology |
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General (Internal) Medicine |
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General Practice |
TBC |
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General Psychiatry |
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General Surgery |
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Geriatric Medicine |
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Haematology |
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Histopathology |
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Internal Medical Training (IMT) |
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Intensive Care Medicine |
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Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
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Ophthalmology |
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Otolaryngology |
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Paediatrics |
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Plastic Surgery |
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Public Health |
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Renal Medicine |
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Respiratory Medicine |
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Rheumatology |
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Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery |
Alternative contact details for assistance with arranging Tasters in the East Region.
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Specialty |
Specialty Lead for Foundation |
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General Surgery HDU Neurology Urology |
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Dermatology General Medicine Ophthalmology |
TBC |
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Geriatric Medicine (Royal Victoria Hospital) Palliative Medicine (Cornhill, Perth) Palliative Medicine (Roxburgh House, Dundee) Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery |
Dr Carolyn Leslie |
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General Surgery (Perth Royal Infirmary) Paediatrics Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery (Perth Royal Infirmary) |
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Emergency Medicine General Practice Haematology Oncology Psychiatry |
TBC TBC |
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General Medicine (Perth Royal Infirmary) Maxillofacial Surgery Neurosurgery Otolaryngology Obstetrics and Gynaecology Plastic Surgery |
Dr Vimala Nellore |
Specialty Contacts
NHS Grampian
All departments within Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) unless otherwise stated.
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Department |
Lead Contact |
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Acute Medicine |
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Anaesthetics |
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Cardiology |
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Chemical Pathology |
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| Community Sexual and Reproductive Health | |
| Critical Care | |
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Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine |
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Emergency Medicine |
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Endocrinology and Diabetes |
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Gastroenterology |
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General Medicine |
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General Medicine, Dr Gray’s, Elgin |
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General Psychiatry, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Aberdeen |
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General Practice |
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General Surgery |
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Geriatric Medicine and Community Geriatric Medicine |
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Haematology |
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Histopathology |
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Infectious Diseases |
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Maxillofacial Surgery |
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Neurology |
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Neurosurgery |
Mr Mohit Arora |
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Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
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Oncology |
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Ophthalmology |
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Otolaryngology |
Dr Vamsidhar Vallamkondu |
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Paediatrics, Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital |
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Palliative Medicine, Roxburghe House, Aberdeen |
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Plastic Surgery |
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Public Health |
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Renal Medicine |
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Respiratory Medicine |
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Stroke Medicine |
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Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen |
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Urology |
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Vascular Surgery |
NHS Highland
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Department |
Lead Contact |
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Anaesthetics |
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Community Sexual and Reproductive Health |
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Emergency Medicine |
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General Practice |
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Intensive Care Medicine |
Dr Marian Mackinnon |
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Lab specialties |
Dr Vanda Plecko |
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Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
Dr Rajesh Annappa |
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Occupational Medicine |
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Ophthalmology |
Dr Shona Macleod |
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Otolaryngology |
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Paediatrics |
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Pathology |
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Psychiatry |
Dr Neil NcNamara |
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Public Health |
Dr Tim Allison |
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Radiology |
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Remote and Rural General Practice |
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Remote and Rural Hospital Practice |
Dr Duncan Scott or Marina Simpson (Administrator) |
Specialty Contacts
| Acute Internal Medicine | Dr Lynn McCallum |
| Anaesthetics | Dr Linzi Peacock |
| Cardiology | Dr Christopher Lang |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | Mr John Butler |
| Clinical Pharmacology | Dr David Webb |
| Clinical Radiology | Dr Judith Anderson |
| Core Anaesthetics | Dr Linzi Peacock |
| Internal Medicine Training (IMT) | Dr Clive Goddard/Dr Kerri Baker |
| Core Psychiatry | Dr Norman Nuttall |
| Dermatology | Dr Caroline Murray/Dr Chandralekha Bertram |
| Emergency Medicine | Dr. Craig Davidson |
| Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus | Dr Anna Dover |
| Gastroenterology | Dr Carol Blair |
| General Psychiatry | Dr Fiona Clunie |
| General Surgery | Mr Brian Mander |
| Geriatric Medicine | Dr Susan Pound |
| Haematology | Dr Fiona Scott |
| Histopathology | Dr Marie Mathers |
| Intensive Care Medicine | Dr Neil Young |
| Medical Microbiology | Dr Pota Kalima |
| Medical Ophthalmology | Dr Graeme Williams |
| Medical Virology | Dr Eleri Wilson-Davies |
| Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Dr Paul Mills |
| Occupational Medicine | Dr Kashif Ali |
| Old Age Psychiatry | Dr Stuart Ritchie |
| Otolaryngology | Mr Richard Adamson |
| Ophthalmology | Mr Pankaj Agarwal |
| Paediatrics | Dr Laura Jones/Dr Ailsa McLellan |
| Plastic Surgery | Mr Stuart Waterston |
| Psychiatry of Learning Disability | Dr John Russell |
| Renal Medicine | Dr Paddy Gibson |
| Respiratory Medicine | Dr Tracey Bradshaw |
| Rheumatology | Dr Philip Riches |
| Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery | Mr Samuel Molyneux |
| Core Surgical Training | Mr Satheesh Yalamarthi |
| Vascular Surgery | Mr Stuart Suttie |
| Genitourinary medicine (GUM) | imali.fernando@nhs.scot |
| Sexual and Reproductive Health | sarah.millar@nhs.scot |
If your GP taster application is approved, the Foundation team will allocate you a GP Practice to undertake your taster session.
Specialty Contacts
For information on Tasters in specialties in the West Region not listed in the tables below, please contact your Consortia Lead Administrator:
South Consortium: Programmes W01 - W08
Consortia Lead Administrator: Mary Smith
North & East Consortium: Programmes W09 - W16
Consortia Lead Administrator: Tracy Boue or Jean Elliott
West Consortium: Programmes W17 - W24
Consortia Lead Administrator: Mary Smith
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Name |
Speciality |
Email address |
Location |
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Colin Pow |
Anaesthetics |
Crosshouse |
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Barbara Stanley |
Oncology |
Beatson |
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David Yorston |
Ophthalmology |
GGH |
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Karen Hogg |
Cardiology |
GRI |
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Shona Jenkins |
Cardiology |
GRI |
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Louise Melia |
ENT |
GRI |
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Kate Hughes |
Diabetes/Endocrinology |
GRI |
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Gemma Currie |
Diabetes/Endocrinology |
GRI |
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Kathryn Puxty |
Intensive Care |
GRI |
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Jennifer Cuthill |
Intensive Care |
GRI |
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Carol Craig |
Surgery |
GRI |
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Mary Brown |
Urology |
GRI |
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Devin Chetty |
Emergency Medicine |
GRI |
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Kirsty Colquhoun |
Geriatric Medicine |
GRI |
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Adam Capek |
Anaesthetics |
GRI |
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Laura McGregor |
Rheumatology |
GRI |
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Gemma McGivern |
Radiology |
GRI |
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Rachael Bradnock |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
GRI |
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Karen Meadley |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
GRI |
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Laura Thomson |
Radiology |
GRI |
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Ravi Jamdar |
Acute Medicine |
GRI |
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John Telfer |
Plastic Surgery |
GRI |
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Libby Ferguson |
Palliative care |
GRI/Hospice |
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Krishna Dani |
Neurology |
GRI/QEUH |
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Mark McAuley |
General Practice |
Kirkintilloch |
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Kate Stevens |
Renal Medicine |
QEUH |
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Erica Peters |
Infection Diseases |
QEUH |
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Rebecca Campbell |
Public Health |
QEUH |
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Richard Appleton |
Critical Care |
QEUH |
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Louise Clark |
ENT |
QEUH |
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Georgios Kontorinis |
ENT |
QEUH |
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Alisdair McConachie |
Infection Diseases |
QUEH |
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Edgar Brincatt |
Paediatric ICU |
RHC |
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Laura McLaren |
Paediatrics |
RHC |
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West Glasgow: Laura Somerville East Glasgow: Sarah Laraway North Glasgow: James Houston Renfrewshire: Lesley McDonald |
Community Paediatrics |
Laura.Somerville@ggc.scot.nhs.uk |
The West Centre, Glasgow William Street Clinic, Glasgow Child Health, Lynnside, Oban LAC (Looked After Children) Health Team / Panda Centre, Renfrew |
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Pauline O’Neill |
Anaesthetics |
RAH |
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Pauline O’Neill |
Intensive Care |
RAH |
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Erica Campbell |
Psychiatry |
Stobhill |
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Gareth McGuigan |
Psychiatry |
Stobhill |
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Colin Malcolm |
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
Wishaw |
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Cassandra Ferguson |
Anaesthetics |
Forth Valley Royal Hospital |
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Yvonne McFarlane |
Community Sexual and Reproductive Health |
Sandyford | |
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Yvonne McFarlane |
Genitourinary medicine |
Sandyford |
This page was last updated on: 10.11.2025 at 15.01