‘Better and quicker’ GP access for some
A Perth and Kinross medical chief has said some patients are getting a better service from their GP surgery than ever.
A Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB) member raised concerns about recent criticism of primary care services in other boards.
At a virtual meeting of the IJB on September 23, Pat Kilpatrick was keen to establish what the situation was in Perth and Kinross.
Ms Kilpatrick said: “There has been a lot of criticism about some services taking a long time. I don’t know the situation in Perth and Kinross but I know other boards have been criticised for very limited access for patients to primary care and GP services.”
Associate medical director Dr Hamish Dougall has been updating IJB members on a three-year improvement plan to transform primary care across Perth and Kinross.
He told the board: “One or two issues have been raised through MSPs and others.
“And when I have looked into them very specifically and discussed them with practices, it’s clear to me that access is different.
“But my impression is access is very good in Perth and Kinross and pretty much across Tayside.”
The Crieff GP said: “In my own practice it’s my belief that patients are actually getting much better and quicker access than they have ever had because they are speaking to a GP and being seen the same day or the day after - which is quite different from patients waiting in many practices two or three weeks before a routine appointment.”
He added: “What is changing is how patients are accessing services. And that’s different across different practices.
“But what we need to be doing is safeguarding workforces within the practices and also other patients who are potentially vulnerable who are attending for other reasons within the building. So we want to be not just opening the floodgates to anyone coming in and queues forming.
“I would say I do think access is good and routine surveillance of chronic diseases and other conditions is restarting if not in all practices the vast majority.”