A Perthshire councillor has questioned how the closure of Invergowrie Medical Practice can go ahead with “zero” official community engagement.
Carse of Gowrie ward representative Alasdair Bailey has stood firm after an NHS Tayside board meeting on Thursday confirmed the GP surgery will shut on June 16.
The majority of the surgery’s 1776 patients will be dispersed to Ancrum Medical Centre and the rest to practices local to where they live.
Invergowrie Medical Practice patients were first told, via a letter, in February that the health facility would cease operations.
An inability to recruit following retirements at both the Ancrum and Invergowrie practices left a single GP, Dr Ronnie Ip, managing both practices.
The GP did not feel that this was safe or sustainable, so he chose to resign from the Invergowrie contract.
In light of this Cllr Bailey launched a petition to asking to keep the facility open, gaining 566 signatures.
He also attended Thursday’s meeting telling members that some patients face having to take “three or four hours out of their day” to get to and from the doctor on Ancrum Road and feared it might put some off going.
Despite this the closure decision was confirmed and described by members as the “least worst option”.
Cllr Bailey has now written to Scottish health secretary Michael Matheson asking if he would consider stepping in to review the decision.
He said: “I’m astonished that such a closure can be approved with zero consultation with the affected community. The Scottish Government’s own requirements require ‘meaningful involvement’ of those affected by the change.
“Residents learnt of the closure on February 11 by letter and the next communication will be next week when they receive details of their new doctor.
“We can’t carry on allowing our GP surgeries to pass into the night with no opportunity to challenge or scrutinise the health board or IJB’s (Integration Joint Board) decision-making process at the early stages.”
Invergowrie residents have been given some hope as the premises will be kept on despite there currently not being enough clinicians to continue running a limited branch service.
“I worry about the message that this closure without consultation sends to NHS boards and IJBs across Scotland,” Cllr Bailey added.
“Yes, we live in challenging times but that doesn’t mean we can deny service users their voice when changes are proposed.”
Fellow ward councillor Angus Forbes said he is “devastated” that the NHS has decided to close the Invergowrie surgery.
“Whilst this decision was expected it’s still a huge blow to the patients,” he added.
“There was some discussion about keeping the building open and using it for nurse-led activity such as blood tests and I really hope that can be done.”
Dr David Shaw, NHS Tayside interim associate medical director for primary care, said: “It is upsetting every time a community loses a GP; we understand the impact this will have on patients and we have heard the community voices and know that it is not the outcome they would wish.
“We have worked really hard with Dundee and Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnerships to try to secure a safe way forward which would allow GP services to continue to be delivered in Invergowrie, but the GP workforce is just not there at this time.
“We hope to offer continuity of care by keeping many patients connected with their existing GP and healthcare team and by offering others a GP practice local to where they live.
“However, we are going to keep working together to focus on the immediate next steps to deliver primary care services in the village from the medical centre building, including access to district nurses and other Care and Treatment Services.
“Teams are also going to look at enhancing the use of Near Me and other digital consultation services in Invergowrie and in Ancrum Medical Practice to support patients who are less able to travel.”
