Patients who feared being left out in the cold following the announcement that an Aberdeen GP practice is to close will still have access to a local doctor, health chiefs have confirmed.
Concerns were raised over the future of care for 8,000 patients covered by Brimmond Medical Group when it was announced earlier this month that it would shut its doors by the end of September.
The independent medical group currently provides medical services to residents in the Dyce and Bucksburn areas.
Now, following a meeting between NHS Grampian and Donside MSP Mark McDonald, as well as MSPs Alex Salmond and Dennis Robertson, it has been announced that patients will still have access to a GP on October 1.
Letters will be sent to all those affected by the closure assuring them that they will be guaranteed a new GP.
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: “We held a useful and constructive meeting with Mr McDonald and Mr Salmond.
“We welcome their input in terms of the wider context of recruitment and retention of GPs, which is a national issue, as well as in terms of this local concern.
“We were able to assure both Mr McDonald and Mr Salmond of the board’s statutory duty to secure general medical services to the community and ensure everyone has access to a GP from October 1 2015.
“We agreed that it is hugely important that we continue to provide up to date information to the practice’s patients and following on from our letter to patients we confirmed that we will ensure we provide clear updates as we have them.”
Mr McDonald said: “The message from NHS Grampian today is a simple one, if you are a patient of Brimmond Medical Group, you will have a GP after September.
“I am delighted that NHS Grampian have provided this cast-iron guarantee to the patients of Brimmond Medical Practice. NHS Grampian officials have advised me that they are already in discussions and have several options that they can pursue.
“I welcome the outcome of the meeting today and I am delighted that NHS Grampian will be keeping patients updated in the next coming weeks and months, starting with notifying patients that they are guaranteed to have a GP.”