Tough task to convince community
After the new proposals were outlined, Dr Cumming, Dr Morrison and NHS Forth Valley health board chairman Cathie Cowan faced at times fierce questioning from the audience.
One thanked Dr Morrison “for saving my life”.
Another complained:“I don’t know what you intend to do with this area but look at the remote geographical nature of the practice.
“If we have elderly people who live in Inversnaid or Stronachlachar then it is going to be difficult for them getting to the doctors,”
Referring to the cluster arrangement, she added:“I don’t really care about the people in Killearn. I wish I did but I don’t. I want to know what is going to happen here.”
Former Stirling councillor Fergus Wood asked about the long-term future of the GP-run practice and added: “It has got to make a profit and it is sad to think that NHS Forth Valley has threatened that.
“Do they have an ulterior motive?”
Ms Cowan replied:“We have a commitment that we would be here tonight to build the conversation about the future of health services here and we want to follow up on that.
“There’s no ulterior motive. We want to build a service closer to home.”
Audience member Isobel Madden said remote practices, such as Aberfoyle and Buchlyvie, need more support than their urban counterparts.
Ros Dingwall pointed out that the Aberfoyle and Buchlyvie practice is the only one that operates over two sites and covers a massive area.
Dr Cumming acknowledged her point but said Drymen covers the largest area of the six cluster practices and has only one doctor.
Trossachs and Teith councillor Evelyn Tweed said the loss of the third GP had caused“great anxiety” among patients, while her Tory counterpart Martin Earl said the board had a duty to provide some specifics about their plans.
Stirling MP Bruce Crawford took up that point, adding:“The community have approached this matter in a very robust way but it is clear tonight that they don’t have a road map in their own minds about what services will be based in Aberfoyle and what will go out to people’s homes.”
Trevor Geraghty, chairperson of Strathard Community Council, organisers of the meeting, closed it by telling health officials:“If we are sitting here in six months time we would expect to see the new part-time GPs in place and in 12 months we would expect the Aberfoyle health centre building being considerably better used, with the range of services to which you have referred.”
Ms Cowan replied: “These are not impossible timescales.”
She also promised that by early in the new year she will share with the community council a plan on how officials will engage with them as the new services were introduced.
Following the meeting Friends of Aberfoyle and Buchlyvie Medical Practice chairperson Gerry McGarvey, who had been outspoken during the row, said he was stepping down.
He said it had only been his intention to stay in the post for a limited time, adding: “I do think it has been a terrible few months for both the practice and patients alike and I do appreciate that my approach and engagement with the process has not been to everyone’s liking.
“That excepted, I do believe that people did sit up and take notice, and as a direct result progress has been made in salvaging something from the unholy mess of an attempt to foist a direct cut on our access to health in our area.”