I am a GP, working in Oakley, West Fife. I have serious concerns about the current health policy as it affects Scottish general practice.
Scottish general practices are being treated unfairly. GPs are being told to work longer hours or face a fall in practice income, potentially affecting the pay of all practice staff. That is no way to treat anyone. Our contract is, apparently, worthless.
Westminster politics is dictating what is happening in Scotland. The clinical need and scientific evidence is ignored in favour of measures designed to win votes in middle England and London, where commuters face a two-hour journey in each direction. A one-size-fits-all approach is totally inappropriate. What suits London will not suit Fife.
Short-term thinking is winning over long-term planning. No doubt many of us would quite like the chance to visit our practice in the evening or at the weekend. But at what cost? Practices are already open 50 hours per week. And many of us also work in the out-of-hours service, ensuring the citizens of Fife get the best possible emergency service when it matters. To force us to work even longer hours threatens our ability to keep this up. The definition of burnout? Burning the candle at both ends.
Convenience-based medicine is threatening quality of care. Make no bones about it. If you need out-of-hours care, you will get it at the Primary Care Emergency Centres. You will be cared for by teams of medical professionals. If you fancy the convenience of popping down to the local GP after tea, you will get exactly that: one tired GP who has been working since 8am - no nurses for chronic disease management, no blood tests, no local chemist, no chaperone for intimate examinations, no teamwork, no evidence that this has anything to do with a quality health service. You will get a second- class service that threatens the very fabric of Scottish general practice.
Why do I feel so strongly? Because I care.
I'm not ashamed to say that I care about my family. My evenings and weekends with them are precious to me. I'm sure you understand.
I care for my patients. I honestly do not believe I can give my patients a top-quality service in isolation. If we need routine care, we need to prioritise our health, and visit the practice when it is functioning at full strength.
I care about Fife Primary Care Emergency Service. I believe it is a great service because local GPs are committed to it, and take responsibility for it. I care about the NHS and Scottish general practice in particular. I do not believe short-term political difficulties should be allowed to jeopardise the NHS. Take care to understand the issues. The stakes are high. The next step is getting our GP care from the high street and the supermarket. Convenient, yes. But is that really what we want?
Dr Iain Mathie, Oakley, Fife.
Hooray for sanity. I have read every letter regarding the spat between doctors and governing bodies over working hours, but the most recent missive from Dr Alisdair Shaw of Blairgowrie is certainly the one that makes the most sense.
Here we have a professional who has worked under both old and new structures and whose concern is the wellbeing of his patients and not how much he is being put out by ensuring his patients are well beings.
John Lafferty, Condorrat, Cumbernauld.
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