Health Secretary Michael Matheson has been warned staffing challenges at two north-east GP practices risk leaving thousands of patients struggling to access their doctor unless he comes up with a new recruitment plan.
Inverurie Medical Practice will hand back its NHS Grampian contract on September 7, as it cannot currently offer the care it wants due to a shortage of GPs.
The surgery, which has more than 25,000 patients, will be taken over by Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership on this date.
Patients were assured services will continue as normal and there is no suggestion the practice will close in future.
Fyvie Oldmeldrum Medical Group, which cares for almost 9,000 patients, has already ended its contract with NHS Grampian.
The surgery roll, when combined with Inverurie Medical Practice, leaves a combined total of 34,000 patients impacted by the changes within a five-mile radius.
It blamed an ongoing nationwide shortage of GPs on their decision to give up their contract.
GP staffing crisis
North-east Tory MSP, Liam Kerr, raised the recruitment crisis at Holyrood, saying it had left doctors “beyond the end of their tether”.
He pushed Health Secretary Michael Matheson for details on the specific measures put in place by former health secretary and now first minister, Humza Yousaf.
Mr Kerr said: “The decision from Inverurie and Oldmeldrum practices to end their contract with NHS Grampian due to a lack of GPs means that 34,000 patients within a five-mile radius in Aberdeenshire face challenges accessing a local doctor.
“Dr Innes, a partner at Inverurie Medical Practice, said they had ‘explored every avenue to recruit but there are not enough GPs out there’.”
Andrew Buist, Chair of British Medical Association Scotland, previously said Inverurie’s decision was “extremely worrying news”.
Speaking at the time, he said practices are “struggling desperately to recruit and retain the doctors they need”.
He added: “There are no quick fixes here – but we simply must start investing properly in recruiting and retaining the GPs we need.”
In his response, Mr Matheson said: “I recognise the concerns the member has raised on behalf of his constituents.
“I know both the health and social care partnership and the health board are looking at the specific issues in relation to the Inverurie practice and whether there is the possibility of others coming in to operate the practice or whether it will require to come under the local health board to operate it in the future.”
Former Deputy First Minister John Swinney also pressed the health secretary about the “uncertainty” around GP provision in Invergowrie, Perthshire.
Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart raised the plight of a GP surgery in Hillswick, which has been unable to recruit a doctor after six months of advertising.
GP targets
Mr Matheson highlighted a “range of actions” that have been taken forward to support GP numbers, and said Scotland had a “record number” of 5,209 GPs.
He mentioned the Scottish Government’s plans to hire 800 new GPs by 2027.
However, in February it emerged only 20 doctors a year have been recruited.
Spending watchdog Audit Scotland warned the key recruitment targets were “unlikely to be met”.
The health secretary also emphasised initiatives to support GPs in rural areas such as ‘golden hellos’ – a financial incentive scheme.
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