A Paisley GP has insisted family doctors are open for business but says patients will have to get used to phone and video consultations.
Dr Stuart Sutton says there will be no return to how surgeries conducted business before the coronavirus pandemic but face-to-face GP slots are there for those who need them.
It comes in the same week NHS bosses once again asked patients to stay away from “very busy” A&E departments unless their condition is life-threatening.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde took the step on Tuesday, saying acute sites are under pressure.
The move follows a string of issues at Paisley’s struggling Royal Alexandra Hospital, where hard-pressed staff have been complaining for months that “chronic” staff shortages had progressed to “dire” amidst allegations that their complaints to management had fallen on deaf ears.
Unison stewards Barbara Steel and Margaret Duffy said workers at the RAH were burnt out battling the pandemic and staff shortages, including sickness, last October.
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They also pleaded with GPs to see more patients, saying a lack of reassurance and treatment was leading desperate patients to pile into A&E services at the RAH and other acute sites.
The women highlighted further concerns at the hospital, which was this week revealed to have logged the highest ambulance wait for A&E transfer in Scotland - in December when they said bosses were cramming in more patients than staffing levels could safely accommodate.
Figures obtained by Scottish Labour showed the highest ambulance turnaround time between October 1 last year and January 31 this year, was 10 hours and 43 minutes at the Corsebar Road hospital, meaning that the patient and ambulance staff were waiting for almost 11 hours.
Now Dr Sutton, the clinical director for Renfrewshre Health and Social Care Partnership and a GP for more than ten years, stressed that surgeries are still working.
He says more than 115,000 appointments are taking place across GP surgeries in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde weekly - including around 17,000 throughout Renfrewshire’s 29 practices.
Dr Sutton told how GPs still see some patients face-to-face but the majority of appointments are divided between telephone and video sessions.
He said: “One in three of those appointments is face-to-face with the remaining two-thirds comprising telephone and video consultations. For an average sized practice this is around 100 appointments a day. On top of that, our practice staff respond to several hundred calls from patients each day, with around 10 per cent of the entire population of the Renfrewshire area in contact with their GP surgery on any given week.
But he said Renfrewshire practices are working hard to ensure those who need to see a doctor in person can do so, despite pressures, adding: “These stats reflect the extreme challenges practices find themselves facing and how practices have had to adapt to ensure they continue delivering a service which balances the needs of patients against what is physically possible under current circumstances.”
But he confirmed that practices will not return to pre-pandemic service models and that moves away from majority face-to-face appointments are here to stay, saying: “GPs know how hard it has been for patients throughout this pandemic. People are worried and anxious about their care and whether they’ll be seen. While we cannot promise a return to the old model of care, we can provide assurance anyone who needs a face-to-face appointment within NHSGGC, will receive one.
“The new systems have been implemented for that very reason, and to allow other patients to continue to be seen via telephone or virtual appointments – meaning we can look after patients more efficiently and safely. Prioritising patients based on clinical need is not a new practice, but the pandemic has shone a light on it. There’s no blanket approach and we assess the needs of the patients individually.
“A phone or video call is often an efficient way to identify if something is urgent and many things can be dealt with without a further appointment. We also know remote consultations suit many patients as they don’t have to travel to the practice. We continue to tell all patients that unless life-threatening, always speak to your GP practice first. It has access to your records and medical history and can make ongoing arrangements for further care and follow up.”
The doctor also said doctors won’t return to the pre-pandemic majority face-to-face schedule now Omicron cases have fallen for patients who want to go back to basics, because it might put vulnerable people in danger.
He said: “Many people are asking the question that as cases of Omicron appear to be abating, why can’t we go back to seeing everyone in person. Despite a decrease in the community prevalence of Omicron, the threat of COVID-19 remains – particularly as patients who require GP care are generally unwell and more vulnerable.
“We would be putting patient safety at risk by unnecessarily seeing people whose healthcare needs could be dealt with remotely. Practices, like all other healthcare settings must continue to observe two-metre physical distancing. Until it is absolutely safe to do-so, this will remain the position and the model of care being delivered from GP practices.
“The care model may have changed to meet the circumstances, but we are open, we are seeing patients. Contact your GP as normal, and the practice team will take care of you.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde issued fresh apologies to patients who had been kept waiting for long periods in its A&E departments this week.
Both the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Paisley’s RAH have repeatedly returned poor performances against the Scottish Goverment’s four hour target in recent months, returning some of the worst figures in Scotland.
Other sites which also handle a large volume of patients, including Glasgow Royal Infirmary have faired better, although hospitals throughout Scotland have consistently failed to meet the 95 per cent government target in recent months.
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