Helen Martin: Scrapping GP appointments might deter worried well

I HOPE my GP practice continues with its daily open surgery, no appointment required. Clearly that is not the norm in East Lothian with Wallyford, Whitecraigs and Musselburgh said to be experiencing a GP crisis with some patients waiting three weeks to see a doctor.

Some people have to wait three weeks to see their GP

The population in the east is growing with young people (including my son and his partner) moving out of the Capital, so yes, it concerns me.

And I know several people in Edinburgh who face similar waiting times for an appointment and are surprised that in my practice, apart from weekends, no-one has to wait even one day! Isn’t an open surgery the best solution?

Anyone prepared to turn up at 8am, if necessary wait for an hour or two to be seen and arrange that with their employer, has serious concerns, otherwise they’d be more likely to pop into a pharmacy for a few minutes and ask advice, or try paracetamol for a couple of days.