Linking GP practices would be a mistake

I live with my severely disabled wife on the Ross of Mull. We are very dependent on the excellent medical facilities here and, in particular, on our local GP, Dr Frank Teunisse, who has run the independent practice serving the Ross of Mull and Iona and given us continuity for the past 18 months.

He gave his notice in December 2017 and will be retiring at the end of May. There is no plan in place for his replacement and the health board has been unwilling to advertise his post because it now proposes to incorporate the existing independent practice serving the Ross of Mull and Iona into a single practice serving the whole of Mull, which will be based at the north of the island.

This plan might suit residents of Tobermory, Salen and Craignure, where more than half the population of Mull live, but Fionnphort and Iona are one hour away by car from Craignure and one hour and 40 minutes from Tobermory via a single-track road across a mountain pass, which can be congested in summer and impassable in winter.

Dr Frank has been a wonderful GP. He is a hands-on doctor who loves to administer to his patients, including out-of-hours emergencies. His approach has also relieved the pressures on hospitals and consultants.

Unfortunately, the health board is unwilling to advertise his post partly because it no longer sees the value of single independent practices in rural areas.

The Ross of Mull and Iona have always had their own GP practice and, prior to Dr Frank, Dr Maureen Douglas ran the practice for 28 years. Furthermore, the intention to replace independent single practices with group practices even when this is incompatible with the geography and remoteness of a particular area, poses a real danger to patients in emergency situations, which does not exist when the GP resides locally.

It could be imagined that the real reason for the change is lack of NHS funding but the opposite is true. The cost of Dr Frank’s current practice is saving the NHS £180,000 per year over the arrangement before he was appointed when locums were employed costing up to £1,000 per day.

And since it is likely to be six months before a permanent GP is appointed as part of the proposed single Mull practice, the health board is likely to squander £90,000 of NHS resources. All this is being done in order to replace a localised service on the Ross and Mull and Iona which not only works well but is liked by the residents and is very good value for money.

A GP advert petition, which now has around 250 signatures, has been launched which urges the health board to advertise a replacement for Dr Frank without further delay. Only in the unlikely event that no GPs come forward who are able and willing to do the job will the residents of this remote part of Mull be satisfied that it is necessary to consider alternative arrangements for GP services for the Ross of Mull and Iona. The argument behind the GP advert petition is truly a ‘no-brainer’. Jonathan Knight, Pennyghael, Isle of Mull.