Cole-Hamilton responds to GPs warning of "full blown crisis"

Responding to comments from BMA Scotland warning of a “full-blown crisis” in general practice, and new figures showing Scotland has lost nearly 90 surgeries in the last decade, while almost one in 10 has closed their lists to new patients, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"I had hoped that with the departure of Humza Yousaf as health secretary we would see a reboot of the relationship between ministers and the medical professions but that is a damning verdict on the state of general practice.

"I have spent years arguing that the Scottish Government were not investing sufficiently in staff recruitment and retention.

"When I am speaking to constituents, one of people’s top concerns is simply getting a GP appointment. This is already a huge issue, especially in rural areas. The Scottish Government need to increase the number of trained GPs in Scotland and embed more nurses, mental health professionals and physiotherapists in practices so that people can get a wider range of diagnoses, treatments and follow-up care within their community."