GP appointments: Scotland needs to improve access to doctors – Helen Martin

The satisfaction of Scotland’s GP practices, reported by the Health and Care Experience survey, has dropped from 90 per cent in 2009, to 79 per cent, despite Scotland being said to have more GPs per person than the rest of the UK.

Some people have to wait weeks for a doctor's appointment while others are told their local GP surgery is 'full' (Picture: PA)

I’ve heard people saying they may have to wait at least a fortnight for an appointment. That didn’t happen in my surgery where there was an open clinic to queue in every morning. Obviously, that’s stopped with Covid-19 where telephone or online consultations have taken over, and fortunately, they work well.

But we have an increased older, more vulnerable, population. Medical development continually advances, so generally there are even more conditions to deal with. Doctors are often working longer hours which encourages earlier retirement. Female GPs with children work part-time. Some surgeries just can’t accept new patients.

The Scottish Government is trying to recruit more GPs and that means EU free movement and immigration would be an advantage. But it’s not a rapid move, sticking to the GP-owned surgery system and waiting for higher recruitment.

I feel most sorry for patients who feel unwell and struggle to get an appointment, wait for weeks, or need help but can’t even register with local surgeries which are “full”.

Something must be done about that as soon as possible. We should not accept that people can’t, for whatever reason, see a GP when they need a treatment – and then complain that too many turn up at A&E when they don’t have an emergency.

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