Edinburgh doctor surgeries in bad health

Published on Thursday 17 April 2008 10:51

TWO-THIRDS of Edinburgh GPs are working in cramped, outdated practices that affect the level of care they can provide for patients, it was claimed today.

Doctors believe not enough money is being spent on primary care, with the cash going to hospitals instead.

The lack of space in some practices makes it harder for patients to get appointments, as GPs do not have enough rooms to carry out consultations.

The problem was raised by the British Medical Association two years ago but is still said to persist at a number of medical centres across the Capital.

Dr Peter Shishodia, secretary of the BMA's Lothian local medical committee, said: "Only one or two practices a year are being modernised. Many are really not fit for purpose. A significant number cannot give the service that they want, in terms of minor surgery – there's just not enough room to house the extra staff.

"Money for primary care used to be separate from hospital buildings but it's all one big pot now and we miss out compared with hospitals."

Dr Shishodia is a GP in Muirhouse. His practice has doubled in size in recent years from about seven doctors to 14. Although it has been extended it is still short on space.

He said: "It means doctors cannot always consult when they want to. When patients say that they can never get an appointment it is because we do not have the space.

"Our's is not too bad compared to a lot of others. Some buildings are more than 100 years old. They have problems in regard to access, computers and cabling, and were just not built to be GPs' surgeries."

NHS Lothian stressed it was committed to improving primary care facilities, with Bonnyrigg Health Centre, Leith Mount Medical Centre, Gracemount Medical Centre, Roslin Medical Centre, Conan Doyle Medical Centre and Slateford Medical Centre all built in recent years.

It is also committed to providing new health centres, with investment expected to be around 40 million.

Jackie Sansbury, director of strategic planning and modernisation at NHS Lothian, said: "We are committed to continually improving the infrastructure of all GP premises and health centres.

"We have a continual process of assessing each premises. As healthcare services are being developed to provide more services in the community, we are delivering more modern and appropriate healthcare premises.

"Since April 2005 we have already seen the completion of a significant number of new health centres in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

"We have also recently provided funding of 1.145m to three GP practices in Lothian for improvement purposes. These include Lauriston Place Surgery, Muirhouse Medical Centre and Newton Port Surgery in Haddington."

This is a fantastic buildingDOCTORS at the new Conan Doyle Medical Centre in Liberton know what it is like to work in a practice that is "not fit for purpose". Before moving into their new state-of-the-art home in October they were based in a building in Mayfield that was formerly a residential property.

Dr Lorna Taylor, head partner at the practice, said: "This is a fantastic building that is certainly fit for purpose.

"It lets us provide more services under one roof, including health visitors, house nurses and district nurses."

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