The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
GP surgery blames ‘pressured NHS’ as four doctors leave
Anorth-east medical centre says it lost four GPs due to the growing pressures they face working within the NHS.
Staff at Kemnay Medical Group in Aberdeenshire say the increased demand on doctors is “completely outstripping capacity in the health service”.
The practice’s latest monthly contribution to the Kemnay community newsletter describes how demand for appointments is up 50% in the past three years.
The surgery adds that “political promises of help for the NHS have failed to materialise”.
It notes a national GP shortage, but says it is felt “particularly in the north-east”.
In Kemnay Medical Group’s statement, which sets out changes to the practice team, it said: “Many will have known that Dr Rigby left Kemnay at the end of the year.
“Sadly working as a full-time GP in a creaking system where the pressures on clinicians have continued to grow, the demand for our time has rocketed and political promises of help have failed to materialise, Dr Rigby felt there was no future for him in Scotland or the NHS.
“After many months of thought, he emigrated to New Zealand, where the work-life balance for doctors is much more favourable and GPs have the support teams to care for patients.”
The statement continued: “Sadly Dr Rigby is the fourth doctor Kemnay has lost either to emigration or early retirement.
“All of those who have left have said it is not a reflection of the medical practice but the pressured NHS system we have to work in, the demand completely outstripping capacity in the health service and specific issues such as the pensions system which means senior doctors are forced to work less to prevent additional tax penalties.”
The surgery says neighbouring practices have been left in a position where partnerships have to “hand back their contract” to NHS Grampian.
It adds, “only political pressure will make a difference”.
However, the update to residents in Kemnay does confirm the practice has been “very fortunate in being able to recruit several doctors to fill these gaps”, due to the “high regard the practice is held locally by GPs”.
The problem of GP recruitment in remote and rural locations was recently raised at Holyrood. Health Secretary Humza Yousaf promised to explore whether more cash can be found to attract GPs to rural areas.
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie said: “This is an extraordinary admission from GPs and staff who are doing their best to maintain local health services for the people of Kemnay.
“And it is a damning indictment of Scotland’s NHS under the SNP.”
He added: “Time and again, with their eye on votes, Nicola Sturgeon or Humza Yousaf promise more resources.
“They repeatedly say recruitment is up but neglect to mention that’s in the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The pandemic has been the biggest shock our NHS has faced in its 73-year existence and we have increased our investment in the NHS workforce to deal with that and the other challenges our hard-working and compassionate health and social care staff have faced in recent years.
“We are working to bolster numbers to help deal with the workload, and have already delivered a record number of GPs working in Scotland, with more per head than any other country in the UK.
“Trainee recruitment last year has so far been the most successful year of any of the last five, with 98% of GP training posts in Aberdeen and other universities filled and the offer of a £20,000 bursary as an incentive to increase rural and other hard-to-fill vacancies.”