Edinburgh GP appointment waiting times are ‘intolerable’ as 3,000 residents demand action

Residents in the south of the city have reported waiting hours on the phone to book appointments, while others have said some surgeries were unable to register new patients due to severe capacity issues. Now, more than 3,000 residents are demanding action from the government and NHS Lothian to provide better GP services in their areas.

One resident who is registered at a surgery in Gilmerton said they can never get through to their local GP over the phone. They said: “I try to get through at 8am to get an appointment, but even just a call back is impossible. By the time I get through, all appointments are gone for the day - I’ve been trying almost two weeks now and never can get through."

Residents in the south of the city said they are facing unacceptable delays in accessing care. Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray said the rapid expansion of new housing developments in the area without the necessary investment in healthcare infrastructure is exacerbating the situation | Getty Images, Charles Milligan/Hulton Archive

Another resident who suffers from a chronic illness said getting a GP appointment is ‘virtually impossible’. They added: “The stress of not being able to pre-book an appointment and having to call at 8am relentlessly, normally around at least a 100 redials and then to be told there is no appointment available because they only have one doctor available that day and they are full, is intolerable."

Another resident added: “We moved to South Edinburgh a couple of years ago and struggled for months to get registered with a GP. When we were finally accepted at a practice, it was even harder to get care for my child, who has a long-term condition. At one point, I was terrified for his health because I simply couldn’t get him the medical help he needed. No parent should have to go through that."

Speaking out about the crisis, Edinburgh South MP, Ian Murray said ‘it’s clear the system is at breaking point’. Launching a petition last month, the Labour MP said ‘residents deserve proper services and local infrastructure’ adding ‘hardworking doctors and nurses are doing a heroic job, but they need proper support.’

Ian Murray MP is encouraging residents to share their experiences of GP access to help implement positive changes | Getty Images

Renewing calls for urgent action, Ian Murray, said: "GP services in Edinburgh South are at breaking point. Residents are spending hours on the phone just to get through to their surgery, only to be told they’ll have to wait weeks for an appointment. Meanwhile, new housing estates are being built without the infrastructure to support the growing population. Our community cannot be left without access to vital healthcare.

"The incredible doctors, nurses, and staff in our local practices are working tirelessly, but they are being let down by a failure to plan for demand. Following the record funding settlement given to the Scottish Government by the UK Government in the budget last year, this is unacceptable. The Scottish Government must act now to expand GP capacity, allocate the necessary resources to NHS Lothian, and ensure new developments are built alongside proper infrastructure and healthcare provision."

It is understood that Ferniehill Surgery is the only GP practice in the South Edinburgh area that has closed registrations for new patients. All other surgeries should be registering patients and people can visit the NHS Lothian website if they are having trouble with the process.

Jenny Long, director of primary care at NHS Lothian, said: “GP Practices operate as individual businesses which manage their own responsibilities, including appointment systems. Like other healthcare services across Scotland, GP Practices are facing significant pressures, but staff work hard to ensure that the majority of patients continue to be able to access care in the right place at the right time.

"NHS Lothian continues to work closely with the Lothian Local Medical Committee, which represents all GP contractors within Lothian, as well as working with Scottish Government colleagues to support the national programme of primary care reform."

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “GPs play a vital role in our health service, and we have increased investment in General Practice by £73.2 million this financial year and are determined to increase the number of GPs in Scotland by 800, by 2027, with an additional 307 GPs added since 2017.

“Our renewed plan for the NHS will ensure that a greater proportion of new funding goes to primary and community care. GPs will have the resources they need to play a greater role in our health system. This increased investment will result in GP services that are easier for people to access to ensure that health issues are picked up quickly and dealt with earlier.

“We are also providing additional resources to support general practice in southeast Edinburgh this year and next, as one of four sites selected to demonstrate what a model primary care multidisciplinary team can look like in practice. I had the opportunity to hear about how this funding is making a real difference to patients on a visit to Gracemount Medical Practice last week, where they have been able to open two extra Community Treatment and Care rooms as well as implementing other measures to increase capacity and improve patient experience”.