The loss of Scots GP practices simply cannot continue…

The loss of Scots GP practices simply cannot continue if we want a healthy society

One of the biggest complaints about Scotland’s NHS is the inability of patients to get GP appointments.

But it is hardly surprising when you consider the reduction in the number of GP practices and the increased number of patients.

General practice is often the part of the NHS which is the most neglected and underfunded and with piling workloads causing increased stress and anxiety among doctors, it is little wonder many of them are deciding to leave.

Almost 100 practices have either closed the last 10 years or are about to shut and that is simply bad for the NHS and its patients. With the BMA saying none of our GP surgeries are safe from closure we should all be concerned.

The Scottish Government pledged six years ago to create an additional 800 GPs by 2027 but there is still a long way to go to achieve that target. The latest figures suggest just 113 have been secured.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said the Government is on target to achieve the figure but more needs to be done to improve conditions to persuade more GPs to stay on.

The loss of GP practices cannot continue. Patients are affected by having to travel further and wait longer for appointments and that means more, instead, will visit A&E.

If we want to cut waiting times at our hospital front doors, we first have to tackle the crisis in primary care.

The bravery of our kids in coming forward about youth violence is extraordinary

Politicians are already sitting up and taking notice of this newspaper’s Our Kids...Our Future campaign to halt the rise of youth violence in Scotland.

It was announced this week that a summit will be held on the issue led by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth.

But the Record’s campaign would never have got off the ground if it was not for the bravery of young victims and their parents coming forward.

Angela Jarvis and Vicky Donald have both suffered the horror of seeing their daughters subjected to shocking violence at the hands of other youths.

They bravely visited the Scottish Parliament yesterday to meet MSP Jackson Carlaw, the convener of the public petitions committee, and share the pain inflicted on their loved ones.

We must now hope their testimony will play a part in a clampdown on the issue. Kids have a right to feel safe when they leave their homes.

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The loss of Scots GP practices simply cannot continue if we want a healthy society

The bravery of our kids in coming forward about youth violence is extraordinary

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