New Covid rules threat to GP appointments in Scotland

Key Facts

• New guidance for patients with respiratory symptoms will reduce the number of people who can be seen face-to-face by GPs, doctors have warned.
• "It shouldn't be me telling the public - a very senior person in the Scottish government needs to explain to the public what is happening and why it will be more difficult to get an appointment with your GP."
• Dr Andrew Buist, of BMA Scotland, says many GP surgeries do not have the physical space to split patients into two groups as the new guidance advises Dr Buist said plans to wind down a network of Covid Assessment Centres, which have been the triage point for people with symptoms of the virus, and send people to GP surgeries instead should be reviewed.
• Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP, who is also a working GP, said: "This added bureaucracy is unnecessary and will reduce the number of patients that GPs can see.

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