Out-of-hours care to be reviewed

A review of access to urgent medical care services outwith normal GP surgery hours has been launched by Health Secretary Shona Robison.

It will look at requirements for services at night and the weekends when local GP surgeries are shut.

The review will also address issues such as recruitment and retention of GPs, staff availability - especially during peak holiday times - consistency of service and the public’s expectations of the service.

The review comes as more island doctors are opting out providing urgent evening and night visits.

The health board is now responsible for providing after-hours care which is often centralised at a hospital.

Shona Robison said: “Primary care is the cornerstone of the NHS with more than 90 per cent of patient visits starting and finishing in primary care.

“Out-of-hours services are a crucial component of this and it is now more than 10 years since the current system was created.

“Our NHS is facing different challenges from a decade ago and we need to ensure all parts of the system work as effectively as possible to support an ageing population and more people with more complex, multiple conditions.

“That is why the time is right to review these services to ensure they continue to deliver sustainable, high quality, safe and effective care.

The review is expected to provide recommendations by late summer.

Out-of-hours care to be reviewed

30 January 2015