Patients in Scotland will no longer see their family doctor for routine matters under a shake-up of the country’s GP services. According to a Daily Express report, other health professionals will assume responsibility for vaccinations, drug monitoring, repeat prescriptions, routine diabetes checks and blood tests, under a new contract for the country’s 5,000 GPs to be unveiled next month.
The report says hundreds of extra staff will need to be recruited to take over the work, which is still expected to be provided from surgeries.
Dr Alan McDevitt, who is leading talks with the Scottish government on behalf of GPs, said soaring workloads meant his members “can’t keep spinning the same plates”. However, Margaret Watt, of the Scotland Patients Association, said the answer was simply more GPs, given that more than one-in-four Scottish practices were currently trying to fill a vacancy.
She added: “Patients already tell us they don’t see enough of their doctor, so anything that makes this situation worse will not be welcome. I don’t think people have an issue with the GP being a gatekeeper, referring them on to other services where necessary but you want to see the GP first as they have the overview of everything that is going on with your health. The answer is more GPs and proper funding, not shuffling the deckchairs about.”
The report says if agreed by British Medical Association (BMA) members, the new contract will come into force in April, but some changes will be phased in over three years.
McDevitt, chair of the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee, said: “These changes, if agreed, will simply mean there will be more people around to do things. Most people will be familiar with practice nurses and healthcare assistants. There will be more people doing that sort of thing. Since we don’t have enough doctors we want to make sure if you really need an appointment with a GP, you will get one. It will be more of a team approach and the GP will be team leader.”
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “A new GP contract will provide significant benefits. We are working with the BMA and others to make sure the new contract best fits the needs of patients, allowing GPs to focus on the most complex cases.”
[link url="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/866811/nhs-gp-location-united-kingdom-scotland-patients-crisis-service-doctor-family"]Daily Express report[/link]