Do not accept claims that GPs do not care

Sir, – In your story, GP recruitment crisis leaves several Fife practices at risk (May 12), I noted with concern the reported comment of Fife Health and Social Care Partnership that “the number of doctors prepared to operate the service was too low to ensure patient safety”.

I would like to reassure your readers that GPs, not only in Fife but across Scotland, would be prepared to operate out of hours services if they had the time and the capacity to do so.

The reasons for GPs’ lack of availability have been well documented and lie both in their increasing workload during routine hours and in the reduction in the number of whole time equivalent GPs. They are already working beyond capacity and the health service would fall over were it not for the goodwill of GPs and their determination to serve patients as best they can.

Many GPs don’t finish their work for “in hours” services until after the “out of hours” period has begun (often long after 6.30pm). This can make it impossible to contribute to their local out of hours services.

Research from the BMA and RCGP has shown levels of burnout among doctors are worryingly high as they struggle to see an everincreasing number of patients with ever increasing needs. Some GPs realise that taking on a further shift might not be safe for them or for patients.

We agree it is essential that patients are able to access the urgent primary care they need whatever time they need it and it is vital that we have enough GPs available to work with professional clinical colleagues to provide this service. We all need to work together to ensure GP out of hours services are recognised as a fundamental part of the NHS providing urgent care for patients when their practice is closed.

It is unhelpful that your readers have been made to consider GPs as “unprepared” to serve their patients’ needs when the opposite is the case. GPs should be supported and valued whether they work in or out of hours, not criticised when the services they are trying to support are struggling. Dr Carey Lunan, Chairwoman, RCGP Scotland.

Picture: Steven Brown. One correspondent argues that GP lack of availability is due to increasing workload and reduction in clinic hours.