Moray MP Douglas Ross says the SNP-Green government must “redouble their efforts” to recruit more GPs to the area as a New Year beckons.
Douglas’ call comes after a Freedom of Information Request from the MP revealed that the number of partners and salaried GPs in Moray has remained “stagnant” in recent years, despite an increase in the number of patients registered at practices in Moray increasing by over 1,200.
The response to Douglas shows that 79 partner and salary GPs were employed in Moray as of this year, the exact same number as in 2021 and four lower than 2020. The figures do not include locums who work regularly in the area.
The stall in the number of GPs come despite the number of patients registered in Moray increasing from 97238 in 2019 to 98439 this year.
Douglas says this also comes against the backdrop of the decision to shut GP surgeries in the villages of Hopeman and Burghead, despite local campaigners overwhelming opposition.
He says “discredited and distracted” SNP health secretary Michael Matheson must use the figures as an “urgent” wake-up call to recruit more GPs to rural areas like Moray, to meet patient demand and ease the pressure on existing GPs.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “Patients in Burghead and Hopeman have seen first-hand the devastating effects of the failure to recruit enough GPs to work in Moray. I have been proud to stand alongside local campaigners fighting the decision to close their surgeries.
“Now these figures only confirm the damaging impact of those failures with the fact that GP levels across Moray remain at the same levels as they were in 2021, despite a significant increase in the number of patients registered in Moray.
“That is only putting more pressure on existing GPs who have been pushed to breaking point and simply cannot meet patient demand.
“Successive SNP health secretaries dire workforce planning has brought us to this point and we need to see the current person in the role – Michael Matheson – redouble his efforts to ensure enough GPs are working in Moray.
“Instead, he is discredited and distracted by personal scandal surrounding him. As we head towards 2024, there is a real risk that more GP practices in Moray will close and patients will not be able to access services in their local community.”
