Monday April 27th 2026
Hawick Community Hospital
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
An exciting era dawns for NHS Borders with the launch tomorrow – Tuesday, April 28 – of a new Walk In Clinic at Hawick Community Hospital.
The service will give local patients additional access options to same day assessment for new and urgent health concerns.
The clinic is the first phase of a pilot service being introduced as part of a Scottish Government funded programme to improve access to primary care.
The Walk In Clinic adds to existing GP and community health services and is designed to help patients with new, short-term health problems that need timely assessment but are not emergencies.
Patients can continue to contact and be supported by their own GP practice in the usual way.
During this initial pilot phase, opening days and times may be subject to change at short notice. This is to ensure the service is safe, effective and sustainable for both patients and staff.
Only patients registered with Teviot and Mairches (O’Connell Street) Practices in Hawick and Selkirk Medical Practice can access the Walk-In Clinic during phase 1.
The service is not available to people who are pregnant or aged under two. They should continue to consult their usual GP or other health professional.
The new clinic will be open Tuesday to Friday from 2pm – 6pm and appointments cannot be pre-booked so patients are asked not to phone the community hospital.
You must attend the clinic in person to be allocated an appointment and spaces are limited.
Depending on your needs you will be seen by either a GP, advanced nurse practitioner or a nurse.
You can use the service for new conditions that have started within the past two weeks, including pain or fever, throat, ear or chest infections, skin conditions and bladder or urine problems.
The service is not for medical emergencies, minor injuries, long-term or pre-diagnosed conditions or repeat prescriptions or medicines reviews.
If you attend with a condition that is not urgent or is better treated elsewhere, staff will redirect you to the most appropriate service.
An NHS Borders spokesperson said: “We know that people want prompt access to advice and treatment when a new health problem arises and this walk in clinic gives us the opportunity to test a new way of providing that access locally, while making sure the right patients are seen by the right clinician at the right time.
“By starting with a carefully managed pilot, we can learn what works best and build a service that is safe, effective and sustainable for the future.
“The new service will be kept under regular review as part of the pilot and will use feedback from patients and staff to inform next steps.”
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