THE message that the NHS is “safe and open for business” is still not getting through to the public, a leading doctor has warned.

Professor Jackie Taylor, president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow (RCPSG) said their members remain concerned that doctors are still seeing fewer patients than they would expect.

And she stressed that headline figures about the mounting death toll from coronavirus “underplay the cost of this pandemic to the public”.

“These figures account for the direct human cost of Covid-19, and not the associated damage that is being caused to the public’s general health,” said Prof Taylor.

READ MORE: Why trying to shield the vulnerable while the rest of us carry on is doomed to fail

Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly said that restrictions such as nationwide bans on household visiting, hospitality curfews, and ‘rule of six’ curbs on the number of people allowed to socialise together are intended to curtail rising infection rates so that NHS services can restart.

However, Prof Taylor, in a blog to be published by the College today, says medics are still encountering reluctance from patients to seek help.

She writes: “Most routine hospital services like cancer screening and MRI scans were cancelled to allow for health services like our NHS to concentrate on patients in the first wave of this crisis.

“Many of these services have restarted safely with new processes and procedures in place to protect our patients.

“Despite the re-opening of elective and emergency services, we know our members are concerned that fewer patients have been seeking the advice of their GP or visiting their local accident and emergency unit.

“We have heard stories from patients and their families that they either didn’t want to be an additional burden on the NHS during this vital time, or that more commonly, they felt it was unsafe to do so.

“The consequences of this are concern us. It is clear that unless we can get the message across to our public that our health services are safe and open for business, we will continue to have to pick up the pieces when patients come to us at a time often too late to help.

"We have all heard of patients with chest pain who resisted going to hospital because of the pandemic who either attend too late for PCI procedures [to restore blood flow to heart in a heart attack] or worse still succumbed before they reach hospital.

"This mortality is in excess of that caused directly by the virus."

READ MORE: Warning over second wave impact on cancer care as figures show referrals slumped by fifth

In the year to May 29, Scotland had the third highest rate of excess deaths in Europe overall and was second only to England for excess mortality among the under-65s.

Deaths from cancer, strokes, hearts attacks, diabetes, and dementia increased, with a clear spike in the numbers of people dying in their own homes.

Public Health Scotland has also noted a "striking" upturn in deaths from 'external and ill-defined causes'. This can include violence and traffic accidents, as well as suicides, drug and alcohol-related deaths.

A report this week also revealed that the number of people being referred for cancer treatment fell by 22 per cent between April and June this year.

Public Health Scotland blamed the fall on fewer people visiting GPs and A&E with symptoms, as well as the pause in routine cancer screening reducing early detections.

In some cases, patients referred for diagnostic tests such as colonoscopies could not get them due to infection control measures implemented at the height of the pandemic.

NHS Grampian has reported a backlog of around 900 patients waiting for endoscopies and colonoscopies.

Weekly attendance numbers in A&E remain 16% below average for the population as a whole, but nearly 40% below average for under-fives.

READ MORE: Why Scotland's new 'lockdown lite' might struggle to deliver the same results 

As of the beginning of May, the number of PCIs being carried out remained 25% below average based on data from two of Scotland's specialist heart centres, the Golden Jubilee and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Prof Taylor, a specialist in geriatric medicine and heart failure, said patients should feel reassured that the NHS is safe, with "adequate" PPE supplies and cleaning regimes in place "to reduce risk at every step of the patient journey".

"Patients who come forward for help later need more time and resources to treat them, sometimes with a poorer outcome," she added.

Dr Lewis Morrison, a consultant geriatrician based in East Lothian and chair of BMA Scotland, also urged the public not to delay going to their doctor.

He said: "It will take time to get some services back to what we all would regard as normal, but the measures put in place to protect patients and staff are there to ensure we can see patients, particularly those with urgent needs, as quickly and safely as possible.

"Whatever happens over the winter months urgent healthcare needs will always be prioritised.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Our NHS is open with public health measures in place to protect staff and patients.  

"Accident and Emergency Departments are available for people requiring urgent medical attention and it’s as important as ever to speak with your GP at the earliest possible time if you have serious health concerns or symptoms.

“As we have repeated throughout the pandemic, everyone should continue to attend regular check-ups and appointments when invited to do so.

"Everyone who is registered with a GP practice in Scotland, or who lives in Scotland, is also encouraged to use their local pharmacy if they have a minor illness or common condition.”