Harley responds to extension of GP walk-in centres

Responding to the Scottish Government’s plans to extend the number of GP walk-in centres despite stubbornly low attendance rates among those that are already up and running, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Adam Harley MSP said:

“Several GP walk-in centres are seeing as few as four patients a day. It’s a far cry from the one million additional appointments promised by John Swinney.

“The Royal College of General Practitioners describes this SNP scheme as poor value for money. They have also suggested it may increase the workload on GPs, making it even more difficult for patients to be seen.

“The Scottish Government need to urgently rethink this plan and start listening to the voices of nurses and doctors.

“The focus should be on easing the burden on GPs to free up their time and get everyone seen quicker. The best way to do that is by hiring more specialist staff in GP practices, enabling pharmacists to do more prescribing and investing in modern IT and digital systems.”