Health board proposes reopening GP practice 12 years after it closed down

A GP practice in Scotland could reopen 12 years after it closed down, as the local health board announced a public consultation on its future.

NHS Lanarkshire said it has received an application from Dr Ailish Glen, a GP at Centenary Surgery in Coatbridge, to re-establish a branch surgery in Caldercruix.

The premises were previously used as a GP branch surgery before closing in 2014.

The health board has now launched a consultation which will run until 12 August, asking residents for their views on the proposal.

NHS Lanarkshire added that it wants to understand whether there is ‘an unmet need’ that would be addressed by a Caldercruix branch surgery, as well as ‘potential concerns or unintended consequences’ and the impact on existing healthcare services.

It said: ‘Dr Glen’s proposal is intended to improve access to GP appointments for people living in Caldercruix and Plains and would provide bookable appointments delivered by Centenary Surgery.

‘Before reaching a final decision, NHS Lanarkshire wishes to obtain the views of residents, patients, community organisations, healthcare professionals and other interested parties regarding the proposed branch surgery.

‘The results of this engagement exercise will be summarised in a consultation analysis report which will be considered by NHS Lanarkshire as part of the decision-making process.’

NHS Lanarkshire primary care manager Alistair Mackintosh, said: ‘This is only a proposal, however, we would like to gauge how local people feel about it and the survey will help us capture this.

‘For example, people will be able to record whether they feel they already have adequate access to GP services in their area or whether they feel there are gaps or deficiencies in service to the neighbourhood.’

It comes after recent figures from the RCGP have revealed that half of GPs in Scotland think that the traditional partnership model is ‘no longer attractive’.

The college warned that ‘growing risks and pressures’ are making GPs ‘increasingly reluctant’ to take on partnership roles, despite support for the partnership model and the benefits it brings to patients.

And the BMA in Scotland called on the Government to address ‘the complete lack of workforce planning’ which has led to GP underemployment.

Pulse has looked into the number of practices closing down across the UK in a major, award-winning investigation.

The Lost Practices investigation in 2022 found that 474 GP surgeries across the UK had closed in the previous nine years without being replaced, leaving 1.5m patients having to travel miles in some cases to new surgeries and placing other GP practices under even greater pressure.