Community Treatment and Care Services (CTACS) provide services previously delivered by GP practices. These may include wound care and dressings, suture removal, ear wax management, phlebotomy and other services too. Some CTACS are involved in the delivery of vaccination programmes now that those have moved away from general practice.
CTACS are organised on a locality basis, the four in Lothian corresponding to the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) areas. Some general principles are outlined below, but please see individual HSCP areas for details of services offered.
Phlebotomy
There is Lothian-wide agreement about which secondary care bloods can be done in general practice (or transferred to CTACS where that provision is available).
These are currently:
- Pre-chemotherapy and SACT bloods
- PSA bloods where Urology arrange recall
- Virtual haematology bloods.
Please see the intranet for full details of NHS Lothian primary / secondary care phlebotomy arrangements.
Ear Wax Removal
CTACS staff currently use ear irrigation for wax removal.
Many patients can self-manage ear wax and take measures to help prevent its recurrence: please see the NHS Lothian patient information leaflet on ear care, which also gives instructions on preparation prior to an ear irrigation appointment.
ONLY those not suitable for irrigation, or where that has failed, should be referred to ENT. Please see details of the ENT ear wax service, and note that previous perforation is not in itself a contraindication to irrigation.
Vaccinations
Please see the main Vaccines Services page for more information.
C.M 27-08-24
