{"id":339,"date":"2022-03-09T23:49:33","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T23:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinic\/?page_id=339"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:32:21","slug":"about-the-nhs-lothian-travel-clinics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/about-the-nhs-lothian-travel-clinics\/","title":{"rendered":"About the NHS Lothian Travel Clinics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignfull has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile headingblockmargin gowide has-white-background-color has-background\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 42%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"134\" src=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/travel-clinic-small.png\" alt=\"NHS Lothian Travel Clinics\" class=\"wp-image-508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/travel-clinic-small.png 350w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/travel-clinic-small-300x115.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading colourtext\" id=\"about-our-travel-clinics\">About our Travel Clinics.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The Travel Clinic Hub of the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh opened in 1993 and now sees over ten thousand patients a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the Travel Clinic Hub, we have launched community-based travel clinics at venues near you in Lothian. You will be able to request any clinic location where appointments are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Lothian we aim to provide gold standard travel medicine services through our team of Clinical Nurse Specialists and Travel Medicine Consultants.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-339_72a300-b5 .kt-block-spacer{height:90px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-339_72a300-b5 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-339_72a300-b5\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"789\" height=\"945\" src=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/things1.jpg\" alt=\"Packed suitcase ready for travel\" class=\"wp-image-484 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/things1.jpg 789w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/things1-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/things1-768x920.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull gowide has-light-accent-green-background-color has-background\" style=\"padding-right:30px;padding-left:30px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull\" style=\"padding-right:15px;padding-left:15px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px;flex-basis:42%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading colourtextbold\" id=\"travel-medicine-a-developing-speciality\">Travel Medicine:<br>A developing speciality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The past 20 years have seen a huge increase in global tourist travel for holiday, business, visiting friends and relatives and volunteering in remote areas of developing countries or as aid workers responding to natural disaster situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Travel medicine emerged as a specialty in 1991, with the formation of the International Society for Travel Medicine (ISTM).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:58%\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-rise-in-travel\">The Rise in Travel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This rise in travel has been associated with a rise in travel-related illness and death which is often preventable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Malaria is one of the most serious treatable travel-related disease, with around 1,500 to 2,000 cases and 10-15 preventable deaths in the UK each year. There is growing concern that with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on control measures and emerging drug resistance these numbers could rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Common sense measures can also reduce the risk of other infections such as travellers\u2019 diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, HIV and schistosomiasis (a disease caused by parasitic worms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increase in illness caused by travel-related disease underlines the importance of travellers getting individually tailored advice to protect their health. <strong>Book in with a travel medicine specialist today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center colourtextbold\" id=\"our-staff\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"194\" class=\"wp-image-614\" style=\"width: 250px;\" src=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/about2.png\" alt=\"Nurse\" srcset=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/about2.png 330w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/about2-300x233.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><br>Our Staff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Our team of Clinical Nurse Specialists and Travel Medicine Consultants<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image339_b20226-be .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image339_b20226-be\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/02\/Travel-Clinic-Team-1024x690.jpg\" alt=\"Travel Clinic Team\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-1326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/02\/Travel-Clinic-Team-1024x690.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/02\/Travel-Clinic-Team-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/02\/Travel-Clinic-Team-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/02\/Travel-Clinic-Team-1520x1024.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/02\/Travel-Clinic-Team.jpg 1526w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-96d94145 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-bottom:25px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:0px;padding-left:0px\">\n<p class=\"has-standard-black-color has-text-color has-regular-font-size\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Dr Oliver Koch<\/strong>, DPhil FRCP FFTM; Consultant &amp; Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Infectious Diseases; has overall responsibility for the Travel Clinic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Amy Gannon<\/strong>, \u00a0Bsc (hons) PGDip Travel, RGN, MFTM RCPS (Glasg); Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Laura Thomson<\/strong>, Msc Extreme Medicine, RGN; Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lesley Adams<\/strong>, RGN; Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-standard-black-color has-text-color has-regular-font-size\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><strong>Anne Maitland<\/strong>, \u00a0PGDip Travel\u00a0RCPS (Glasg)\u00a0RGN; Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donna Aitken<\/strong>, PGDip Travel\u00a0RCPS (Glasg), RGN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gary Cottrell<\/strong>, RGN; Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>David Mckigen<\/strong>, PGDip Travel\u00a0RCPS (Glasg),\u00a0RGN; Clinical Nurse Specialist, Travel Medicine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-image.kb-image339_2a7d8c-f1:not(.kb-specificity-added):not(.kb-extra-specificity-added){margin-top:-35px;}.kb-image339_2a7d8c-f1 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.wp-block-kadence-image.kb-image339_2a7d8c-f1:not(.kb-specificity-added):not(.kb-extra-specificity-added){margin-top:-35px;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.wp-block-kadence-image.kb-image339_2a7d8c-f1:not(.kb-specificity-added):not(.kb-extra-specificity-added){margin-top:-35px;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image339_2a7d8c-f1 absolutecenter\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"71\" height=\"72\" src=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/arrowdown.png\" alt=\"Down Arrow\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-621\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section caringcover gowide alignfull alignfull getwid-section-content-full-width\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-left-medium getwid-padding-right-medium getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\" style=\"min-height:350px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:0px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background has-background\" style=\"background-color:#954B6A;background-image:url('https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/cofee-scaled.jpg');background-position:center center;background-repeat:no-repeat\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-image\" src=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2022\/03\/cofee-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Travel Magazine with Cups of Coffee and a Mobile Phone\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\" style=\"opacity:0.8;background-color:#000000;mix-blend-mode:\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color\" id=\"travelers-are-welcome-to-book-online-or-call-us-to-make-an-appointment\">Travelers are welcome to book online or call us to make an appointment.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignwide is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/online-booking-form\/\">Book Online<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:0131 537 2823\">Call: 0131 537 2823<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">As a busy service we appreciate being informed of any cancellation or expected late arrival. We may not be able to accommodate delayed arrivals within the same clinic\/day.<br>Please see &#8220;find a clinic&#8221; section for directions and journey planners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Please note: our voicemail service is for cancelation or amendment requests for <strong>existing bookings only<\/strong>. We will not respond to or progress new booking requests left on our voicemail system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section copyright gowide alignfull alignfull getwid-section-content-full-width\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-left-small getwid-padding-right-small getwid-padding-tablet-top-none getwid-padding-tablet-bottom-none getwid-padding-tablet-left-small getwid-padding-tablet-right-small getwid-padding-mobile-top-none getwid-padding-mobile-bottom-none getwid-padding-mobile-left-small getwid-padding-mobile-right-small getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none getwid-align-items-tablet-center getwid-align-items-mobile-center getwid-justify-content-tablet-center getwid-justify-content-mobile-center\" style=\"padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:0px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background has-background has-accent-colour-background-color\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\" style=\"opacity:0.8;background-color:#002A00;mix-blend-mode:\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-standard-white-color has-text-color\"><sup><sub>ORIGINAL GRAPHICS COURTESY OF <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freepik.com\/\">FREEPICK.COM<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/freeicons.io\/\">FREEICONS.IO<\/a><\/sub><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Travel Medicine:A developing speciality The past 20 years have seen a huge increase in global tourist travel for holiday, business, visiting friends and relatives and volunteering in remote areas of developing countries or as aid workers responding to natural disaster situations. Travel medicine emerged as a specialty in 1991, with the formation of the International<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/wholewidth.php","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-339","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"NHS Lothian","author_link":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/author\/nhs-lothian\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":false,"rttpg_excerpt":"Travel Medicine:A developing speciality The past 20 years have seen a huge increase in global tourist travel for holiday, business, visiting friends and relatives and volunteering in remote areas of developing countries or as aid workers responding to natural disaster situations. Travel medicine emerged as a specialty in 1991, with the formation of the International","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2342,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/339\/revisions\/2342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/travelclinics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}