The news that a partnership of doctors at the Upper Nithsdale Group Practice are stepping down from running the centre highlights the scale of the GP crisis, according to South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth.

The GPs have announced that from 1 May 2022 they will no longer carry out the day to day running of the Mill Hill centre which serves patients in the Sanquhar, Kirkconnel and Kelloholm.

The local NHS are now putting in place the changes needed to ensure a continuity of services.

Commenting on the move, Colin Smyth said, “This move by the GPs highlights the scale of the GP crisis we are facing, which predates the pandemic. The shortage of GPs means the system is at breaking point- if it’s not already broken. We simply don’t have enough GPs to meet demand. That leads to frustration among the doctors who are being forced into decisions like this and from patients who are constantly in touch with me over issues such as difficulties getting face to face appointments with doctors across the region because of the workload of our GPs.”

“My own personal view is I would prefer a model where GP practices were run directly by the NHS and GPs were employed by the health services rather than having to run a practise as a business, but I recognise historically that hasn’t been the preference. However, it looks as if that will be the only option to keep services going at the Mill Hill Centre”.