Kate is top doc

CONNEL doctor Kate MacGregor has been named as Scotland’s GP of the Year.

Dr MacGregor, who has worked at the practice since 2008, was unanimously judged top of 19 shortlisted nominees, and picked up a trophy at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms in February, which now sits on her mantelpiece in her family home outside Connel.

Dr MacGregor was nominated by a patient’s family last year after, she said, offering them out- of-hours support when necessary, including seeking out secondary care.

‘She was a relatively young woman who had a progressive neurological disease,’ Dr MacGregor said. ‘After she died, it was her partner who nominated me. It was my management of her and her family, because they needed a lot of support. ’

The Royal College of General Practitioners runs three awards each year to ‘recognise high quality care and outstanding service in general practice within Scotland’, including GP of the Year, in which doctors are nominated for ‘high quality care that goes above and beyond the call of duty’.

Dr MacGregor said: ‘The Royal College of General Practitioners contacted the surgery to say they had something to say that was to my benefit. [ The caller] told me I had been nominated, and won the award.’

GPs working in rural practices enjoy a different role than their town or city counterparts, she explained, saying: ‘You have to provide more support to the patient and family. More people are being looked after in the community, so community services are quite stretched.

‘It means we are much more familiar with our patients, and we have to make ourselves more available. I enjoy it. You build up a good relationship and a rapport because of that.’