This Daily Record story yesterday has been widely ignored by the rest of Scotland’s MSM, for obvious reasons. It does not suggest any failure by the SNP Government in its management of A&E services but rather blames GPs for a failure, post pandemic, to start seeing patients again and take some of the load off A&E.
Scotland does have significantly more GPs per head of population, so it’s tempting to question the commitment of some of this very well-paid group.
The whistleblower is presumably just one nurse but that’s enough for Reporting Scotland to go on, typically, and to create a crisis. More reliably, but based on English data:
Just 58% patients were seen face-to-face in August – the first full month following the ending of restrictions. That compares with 54% in January and over 80% before the pandemic.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58670560
Interesting.
Talking-up Scotland 
I attend my health centre on a fairly regular basis so a check can be made on my various conditions. It is quite correct to say I haven’t been seen by a G.P for some time, normally a nursing sister, but I put that down to the fact my my illnesses aren’t causing too many problems at the moment, and I would be seen by a doctor if any of my conditions worsen.
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This is my experience, too. Most of what I require can be described as ‘routine’, so I do not really need to consult the GP, unless something has changed. When I say ‘routine’ I am not implying any denigration of what the nurse provides, because she certainly knows her stuff!
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Doctors are still visiting patients with covid daily, especially those who live alone.
People can still e-mail or phone the Doctor. Get calls back (zoom), or send photos of routine conditions. There is still access to consultant appointments. People are being seen quicker. Some people are choosing not to attend appointments because of covid concerns. Or people with underlying conditions are being advised to wait because of covid concerns. They could die from getting covid but not from waiting longer. There are still the repeat prescription lines. Prescription not charged in Scotland to keep people well.
People use the service and know how good it can be. People who keep on knocking the SNHS are just annoying or not being truthful. They get no sympathy. The SNHS has massive support. The services are world, first class.
Scotland medical research and development is first class and recognised worldwide. The Scottish Gov gives full funding. MUP. £50Million for drug/alcohol proper rehab. Social care so elderly people can stay in their own homes and keep well.
£10 a week child allowance due to be extended. Increased extended nursery care. School meals. Keeping children well and giving them a good health start. The most important development for health outcomes 0 to 2 years. Including the health of the mother. Baby boxes.
Co habiting women (the majority) do not have equal rights with other women and men. They can have to stay in abusive, unhealthy situations. To keep a roof over their head. . Affecting the health of women and children.
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Perhaps GPS are finding they can deal with more patients by telephone than they could face to face.
My family’s experience is that you have to fight to get a video consultation even, offered telephone call quite some time ahead, then after pressing for actual meeting, offered video consult.
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Perhaps we should also consider that people are going straight to A&E bypassing their GP because they believe based on all the MSM generated publicity that their GP wont see them. When in fact much if not all of that publicity pertains to GPs in England. For example, they, unlike their counterparts in Scotland have been heavily involved in the Covid vaccination programme and flu vaccinations before that. The relentless publicity about GPs not seeing patients would no doubt have an effect.
In Scotland the GP contract negotiated in 2018 phased out the GPs’ involvement in organising and giving vaccinations such as flu other than in rural areas or to the housebound within their practice although often it is the practice/district nurses who undertake this job. The flu vaccinations in the autumn of 2020 were the first time the NHS in Scotland in conjunction with Local Councils took responsibility for organising mass vaccinations. The Local Councils’ role was to identify locations where the vaccinations could take place. The NHS boards sent out the appointment letters. It is possible that some GPs would take part in administering the vaccinations but they did not have to organise the appointments etc.
In addition some GPs, perhaps quite a few, would take turns to work in the Covid hubs set up by the SG/NHS – 50 in all around Scotland. They were designed to keep Covid cases away from GP surgeries so that they could continue dealing with general cases.
Like some of the posters above both my husband and I have not had any problems getting medical help either from practice nurses or GP when required and as often as not the nurses were more than able to deal with us without needing to see our GP.
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