GPs’ boundaries

I also heard one of its representatives (Geoff Mawdsley)  describing on Newsnight Scotland particular problems in Edinburgh, where a lot of people can apparently only register with one practice.

I am not sure what Reform Scotland’s level of expertise in the GP area is, but I note on its website it calls itself a “Scottish charity… funded by donations from individuals, charitable trusts and corporate organisations”. There is no mention of any conflict of interest that might influence its policy suggestions. One of its suggestions (about providing GP service provision information on websites) I found sensible, but many practices already do this.

Returning to what Mr Mawdsley said about boundaries, I must be the luckiest patient in Edinburgh as I can register with no fewer than seven practices.

I concede that I do not know the full picture for the whole of Edinburgh, and it is possible that in some areas one practice may be all that is available, but given my situation and some local knowledge I think the picture that Mr Mawdsley painted is doubtful.

I would also be interested to know the practicalities of Reform Scotland’s increasing choice agenda for the not inconsiderable rural population.

As a practicing GP I am  slightly confused by what is being suggested regarding  increasing boundaries.

The idea that patients across town would wish to register might flatter briefly but it simply does not square with practical reality.

A home visit to Portobello, for example, might take two and a half hours, during which time more than a dozen patients could be seen at the surgery.

That does not seem terribly efficient and does not chime with the statement on Reform Scotland’s website, which is “increased economic prosperity and more effective public services based on the traditional Scottish principles of limited government, diversity and personal responsibility”. Although most GPs would like to take as many patients as they can, this has to be tempered primarily with the quality of service that can be  offered, and also with the number of staff and the fixed-space nature of many premises.

It would seem a problem has been invented to which Reform Scotland has conveniently found a solution: introducing private-sector provision.

I would suggest that Reform Scotland rewords its website slightly so that we Scots do  not appear to be so limited in terms of diversity and personal responsibility.

(Dr) Martin Williams

Parkgrove Drive

Edinburgh