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NHS Tayside rubber stamps closure of Dundee’s Wallacetown Health Centre GP

Wallacetown Health Centre. Image: DC Thomson.
Wallacetown Health Centre. Image: DC Thomson.

NHS Tayside has approved the closure of a GP practice at Wallacetown Health Centre in Dundee.

Its services will be merged with those at the Douglas Medical Centre in Dundee’s East End.

The move mirrors increasing pressures on GP services within Scotland and across the UK.

Patients will now have to move more than two miles or seek to register at another practice within the city.

The decision follows closure of the Ryehill Medical Practice in Dundee’s West End, which ceased services on June 30.

GP retiral and phone line issues blamed

Root causes of the Wallacetown closure were given as challenges to GP recruitment, an “unexpected retiral” and a phone system that “couldn’t cope” with patient numbers.

It was stated that the consolidation of services in Douglas was also to meet the needs of an area with high levels of social deprivation.

Both practices, where there are 9,404 patients registered, are run by The Family Group.

The decision was approved on Thursday during an online session of the NHS Tayside Board held in Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.

Discussion on the move took place on Wednesday at an online meeting of the Dundee health and social care integration joint board (IJB).

‘GP shortage’

Shona Hyman, Senior Manager Primary Care at Dundee Health and Care Social Partnership (DHSCP) Image: Bob Douglas/DC Thomson

Shona Hyman, senior manager of primary care at the IJB, said the move is the best option.

She said: “Family Medical Group have had ongoing challenges with GP recruitment for a period of time.

“They’ve reviewed how they can continue to provide the best service with the resources that they can. That’s led them asking to consolidate on one site.

“Douglas…has the highest levels of deprivation. So, having a long term health facility there…is key for supporting that local community going forward.”

‘Balancing act’

Ms Hyman continued to explain the ripple effect of this on other GP surgeries.

She said four of 23 practices consulted in the city expressed concerns about the impact new registrations would have on their services if they had “significant increase” of patients.

Ms Hyman added that it’s a “real balancing act in keeping all practices stable”.

Dr David Shaw, clinical director at the IJB, said: “They’ve also had significant, ongoing issues with their phone system.

“Which means they can’t actually cope with the patient numbers due to administrative reasons – (they are) all going through a bottleneck that unfortunately can’t be expanded.”

‘What about next year?’

SNP councillor for Maryfield, Ken Lynn said: “I’m worried about the continuing contraction in GP services in Dundee; we’ve already had Ryehill, earlier this year.

He added: “To use a medical term, I’m wondering what the prognosis is for the coming year?”

SNP councillor for Maryfield, Ken Lynn.

Dr David Shaw replied: “There are a number of practices that have closed lists. We do have an active approach to try and manage problems as they emerge. (But) it’s very difficult to predict over the course of the next year.”

Shona Hyman concluded:  “We absolutely recognise the ongoing pressures and demand on our general practices and link teams. And obviously, we’re trying to keep practices as sustainable as we can. We don’t always succeed in that.”

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