Vascular Surgery
NHS Tayside RefGuide
This site is intended for professional use; it is not for use by members of the public. It is not replacement for advice from your usual healthcare professional. If you have any comments, thoughts or feedback please contact us at: tay.referralguidance@nhs.scot.
Who we are
Based in Ninewells, the NHS Tayside Vascular Surgery Service operates in tandem with NHS Fife as the East of Scotland Vascular Network. For NHS Tayside patients, we offer comprehensive outpatient/inpatient services. Emergency vascular surgery is also situated in Ninewells (HUB). NHS Fife maintain their own outpatient service.
Who to refer
For NHS Tayside patients:
- Critical limb ischaemia (chronic limb threat ischaemia, CLTI)
- Varicose veins as per CMO guidelines
- Intermittent claudication (IC) as per local guidance (and below)
- Diabetic foot sepsis (cross over with diabetic services)
- Extra cranial aneurysm disease.
Who not to refer
- DVT – please refer to DVT service
- TIA/Stroke - please refer to stroke team/appropriate medical team
- Lymphoedema - please refer to Lymphoedema Service.
For NHS Fife patients, please refer non-emergency work to the Vascular Surgical Team in NHS Fife (Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy)
How to refer
No self-referrals accepted. We do not accept e-mail referrals.
Referral letter required, marked Urgent/Routine. For CLI/IC please commence secondary prevention at time of referral.
Please consider direct referral to Green Health Prescription for patients with IC (supervised exercise)
Alternatives to referral
For advice regarding urgent/emergency matters, please contact the Vascular Surgery Registrar on call in Ninewells (page 4091)
Green Health Prescriptions offer you a pathway to link your patients to local Third Sector nature-based intervention delivery partners. The initiative aims to bring about a step change in the use of nature-based solutions to deliver health outcomes. Our partners are well established and offer a wide variety of activities suitable for many health conditions including:
- Supportive programmes
- Nature-based interventions.
All our partners have trained staff and volunteers as well as appropriate risk assessments in place.
Useful resources
NHS Tayside foam sclerotherapy information leaflet (for those patients undergoing foam sclerotherapy for treatment of varicose veins).
NICE guidance on the optimisation/medical management of abdominal aortic aneurysms, in particular:
- 1.2 Monitoring and reducing risk of rupture
- 1.4.6 Improving surgical outcomes.