North concern over lack of face-to-face appointments with GPs to be broached with NHS Highland
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NHS HIGHLAND is to be asked if anything can be done to get GPs at a Caithness surgery to resume face-to-face appointments with their patients.
Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council is hoping to get a meeting with the health authority in a bid to try and resolve the issue which was raised last month by community councillors in Castletown.
Both community councils are concerned that face-to-face appointments with doctors have not been resumed since they were stopped during the coronavirus pandemic.
It was pointed out that appointments with nurses can be booked at the Canisbay and Castletown Medical Practice but, generally, the doctors can only be contacted by telephone.
Dunnet and Canisbay community councillors wrote to their counterparts in Castletown to ask if they would support their efforts to get a meeting with NHS Highland although it was stressed that GPs run their own practice and are not under the control of the health authority.
The Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council said it wrote to the practice last year to ask for a meeting but the request was refused so members decided to approach NHS Highland.
Ron Gunn, who chairs the Caithness Heath Action Team and is a Thurso and Northwest Caithness Highland councillor, said the difficulty is that the GPs run their own practice so there may not be much the health authority can do. He pointed out that patients participation groups operate at some practices.
It was agreed to support the efforts of the Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council and "see what happens."
Castletown community council secretary, Liz Geddes, said the present situation is "not good, especially for older people."
When the issue was discussed at the February meeting, members heard that on occasions patients are asked to take a photo, relating to a health issue and send it to the surgery. The GP will then look at it and get back to the person.
Chairman, Billy Dunbar, said there has been a lot of concern that patients are not being seen by their doctor. "It is people’s health we are dealing with here," he said.
At the time, the Castletown and Canisbay Medical Practice was contacted for a response but did not wish to comment.
