Mid-Scotland and Fife MSPs, Liz Smith and Murdo Fraser, have made clear their concern for the future of GP provision in Tayside following statistics showing that six practices have been lost over the past ten years.
As a result, the average practice size has increased by 744 patients meaning that people have longer to wait for appointments and treatment.
Set amidst this context are plans from NHS Tayside to shrink the workforce by 10%.
Across Scotland, only the Shetland Isles have retained the same number of GP practices but even there the average number of patients increased.
Commenting, Liz Smith MSP said:
“Any time a GP surgery is lost it is hugely disappointing and the fact that six have disappeared in Tayside over the past ten years is particularly hard to understand.
“When a GP surgery closes the workload and patient numbers that the existing practices have to deal with increases and this is not good for patients or practitioners.
“General Practice is on the front line when it comes to treating and preventing disease and it is hugely important that this service is supported with adequate funding. What we need are clear guarantees from the Scottish Government about the future funding of GP surgeries.”
Commenting, Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“These statistics show the real impact of cuts to GP services in Tayside.
“Over the course of the past ten years, six practices have closed resulting in the remaining surgeries taking on an additional 744 patients.
“The net effect of this has seen patients wait longer for appointments and basic treatment. This is simply not good enough.
“What we need is the Scottish Government to commit 11% of the healthcare budget to primary care, as a larger slice of funding for GPs will help our NHS, keep people out of hospital, and reduce demand on other critical services.”