Munro urges Health Secretary to act on health care access
The SNP candidate for Skye Lochaber and Badenoch at the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary elections has written to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray MSP to urge the decision makers at Holyrood to ensure her rural constituents can access health services as locally as possible.
Eilidh Munro was encouraged to see that waiting times have reduced nationally for seven months in a row now, and locally, the majority of patients in NHS Highland are being seen for inpatient and outpatient procedures within 12 weeks.
There has also been significant capital investment for new hospitals in Broadford and, hopefully very soon, the Belford Hospital replacement building.
In her letter to Mr Gray last week however Mrs Munro reminded him of the "significant challenges" that remain in the delivery of health and social care services across Scotland, particularly in rural areas like the Highlands.
"Patients in many parts of the Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch constituency are very concerned at the increasing centralisation of services to Inverness (for example, diabetes treatment, which had previously been delivered by local GP surgeries)," she pointed out.
"This centralisation hampers access to healthcare, with some patients facing a round-trip of up to six hours for what can sometimes be a very short appointment."
Mrs Gray welcomed the recent announcement of 15 new walk-in GP clinics which are expected to deliver one million additional appointments to help mitigate the "8am rush" to secure a slot with local GPs.
She told the Health Secretary that many people across the Highlands were anxious to learn where their nearest walk-in centre might be located.
"There are a number of locations across the constituency of Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch which would be ideal for a walk-in GP clinic for local patients, such as Fort William and Portree," she wrote.
"I would urge those taking the decisions over the locations of these new, very welcome, walk-in centres to ensure that the accessibility for those living in more rural areas is fully taken into account, and that there is an equitable geographical spread of these to maximise access for Scotland’s rural, as well as urban, residents.
"I look forward to further news on the location of the GP walk-in centres and in the meantime, I would be grateful for any additional work you are able to undertake with NHS Highland to ensure patients across Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch can access health services as locally as possible."
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Modern Apprentice (Health & Social Care - SCQF6) - NAY16758 - North Ayrshire Council
Shop Assistant in our Highland Soap Visitor Centre (Maternity cover and summer temp) - The Highland Soap Co. Ltd
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