Patient care in crisis as more family doctors quit practices
FAMILY doctors across Scotland are quitting their practices, sparking an unprecedented crisis in patient care.
GPs operating in Highland, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Livingston have abandoned their clinics, saying they cannot cope.
One group of GPs blamed an ‘impossible’ funding situation while another surgery closed as it could not recruit enough staff.
The GPs have now handed over their clinics to NHS boards, with health bosses desperately seeking replacement doctors to either fill gaps or take over the surgeries.
The series of resignations leaves thousands of patients in the lurch and facing long delays for routine medical appointments.
The disclosure sparked accusations that the SNP has failed to look after the NHS. While some of the GPs are retiring from the NHS, others are understood to be seeking jobs at other GP surgeries.
Last night Alan McDevitt, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish GP committee, described the situation as ‘unprecedented’, said more resignations could follow and warned the crisis could last for up to a decade.
Yesterday it emerged the doctors running Cromarty Medical Practice in the Ross-shire town, the Glencairn Medical Practice in Kilmarnock and Dr Helen McNeil’s practice in East Kilbride have quit. Two other clinics, the Inverleith Medical Practice in Edinburgh and the Deans and Eliburn Medical Practice in Livingston, West Lothian, have made similar announcements in recent weeks.
A statement by Dr Susan Wilson and Dr Gail Haddock of the Cromarty Medical Practice blamed the move on recruitment difficulties. It said: ‘As the current model of care is no longer sustainable, the only alternative left to us is to hand the practice over to NHS Highland and allow them to seek a solution.’
At the Glencairn Medical Practice, GPs said they were quitting ‘with immense sadness’, adding: ‘Running of the practice with the present funding stream has become impossible.’
Health boards have sought to reassure patients there would still be a service. A spokesman for NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: ‘We will ensure that patients continue to receive services.’ NHS Highland spokesman Dr Stewart MacPherson said: ‘Alternative arrangements will be in place.’
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘Family doctors are in crisis. The SNP Government has been warned for years about recruitment and workload issues.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘NHS boards have means of supporting independently contracted practices which request assistance. In 2017-18 we will invest £72million to improve primary care and GP services.’
‘Current care is no longer sustainable’