First Minister’s blunder over GP closure

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been blasted for getting it wrong over the closure of Tarbolton’s only doctors’ surgery.

She has also been accused of playing down the shutdown, which means everybody in the village will have to travel to Mossblown or other surgeries run by the Taiglum group.

During First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood on Thursday, Sturgeon described the changes as a relocation, not a closure.

However, South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle was quick to challenge the First Minister’s statement on the issue, asking the Presiding Officer for apoint of order to put the record straight.

Whittle pointed out the operators of the Tarbolton Surgery plan to move their GPs to a sister practice in a neighbouring village, meaning there would no longer be a GP surgery in Tarbolton and requiring patients to travel to Mossblown.

He said: “The First Minister can try to spin this all she likes, the reality is that Tarbolton will no longer have a GP surgery in the village because of these changes. Calling it a relocation makes it sound like the practice is just moving round the corner, not to another village that’s a car or bus ride away.

“Too many rural GP practices are closing their doors or centralising their services in one town and asking patients to travel. While it’s an inconvenience if you have your own transport, if you’re on a bus or other public transport it can mean your appointment takes much more time out of your day.

“The First Minister and the Scottish Government need to get serious about protecting rural GP services and stop trying to wish the problem away.”

* The office of Tarbolton’s MSP Jeane Freeman has had complaints, but the surgery closed. She is still investigating, see story on facing page.