Rannoch & Tummel Out-Of-Hours Health Care Anxieties

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Rannoch & Tummel Out-Of-Hours Health Care Anxieties

CHANGES to the availability of out of hours (OOH) health care services in the local area have raised concerns in Rannoch & Tummel. These have been brought up by MSP John Swinney directly with the Chairman of NHS Tayside, Peter Bates, and the Minister for Health and Community Care, Andy Kerr MSP.

When the Tayside OOH system was transferred to NHS 24 some 18 months ago, NHS Tayside decided that the GP practice in Kinloch Rannoch would continue to provide the OOH service in the Rannoch and Tummel area. This decision was arrived at due to the severe rurality of the area and to the difficulty in emergency health care reaching the area promptly.

An appeals panel within the NHS recently declared that the practice should be allowed to opt out. Thus, from 1 May, OOH service transferred to NHS 24 for telephone assistance, and medical care is required to travel to the remote Rannoch and Tummel area to assist patients.

“I am very concerned by the changes that are being put in place to the cover in the Rannoch and Tummel area. When this issue was discussed eighteen months ago, NHS Tayside, to their credit, accepted the argument that the Rannoch and Tummel area was just too isolated to be dependent on emergency medical services from outwith the community, and that a local OOH service was required.

Lacking Community Confidence

“In my view nothing has changed since then, but a decision has now been taken to allow the GP practice to opt out and to provide OOH services through NHS 24. I have received a number of representations from the local community regarding these new arrangements and I think it is fair to say the new plans do not command confidence within the local community. I share these concerns.

“I accept that NHS 24 has improved a great deal since its awful performance in its early days. But no matter how effective a telephone based service can be, in certain circumstances it is essential that qualified medical cover is available for individuals when they need it. Under the old arrangements a GP was available in Kinloch Rannoch and able to reach households in the village and the surrounding area within minutes.

“Under the new arrangements it is unlikely that emergency cover could reach Kinloch Rannoch within 40 minutes and it would be over an hour before it could reach the remote Bridge of Gaur area. I do not believe this is acceptable as an example of emergency care in 21st century Scotland.

Special Case

“A lot is made of the importance of the golden hour – of getting medical cover to individuals with an hour of taking seriously ill – and that cannot be delivered under this new system. Although the GP service is infrequently called out in the Rannoch and Tummel area there may, in future, be a serious call that cannot be promptly attended. That is the essence of my concern and the local concern.

“I think it is essential that the isolated and rural nature of the Rannoch and Tummel area of my constituency should be recognised as distinctive in the new arrangements and medical cover should be available in Kinloch Rannoch on a 24/7 basis. I have put this point to the Chairman of NHS Tayside and to the Health Minister and I encourage them to change the arrangements to put a credible OOH health care system in place for Rannoch and Tummel.”