Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, has renewed calls for urgent action by the Scottish Government and NHS Lothian to tackle the worsening crisis in South Edinburgh GP services, as residents continue to face unacceptable delays in accessing care.
Constituents regularly report waiting hours on the phone to get appointments, with many surgeries unable to register new patients due to severe capacity issues.
The rapid expansion of new housing developments in South East Edinburgh without the necessary investment in healthcare infrastructure is exacerbating the situation.
Ian Murray has raised these concerns directly with NHS Lothian, and has met with the leadership teams of under-pressure GP practices, to discuss what support they need.
Over 3000 local residents have signed Ian Murray’s petition demanding action.
Ian Murray MP said: “GP services in Edinburgh South are at breaking point. Residents are spending hours on the phone just to get through to their surgery, only to be told they’ll have to wait weeks for an appointment. Meanwhile, new housing estates are being built without the infrastructure to support the growing population. Our community cannot be left without access to vital healthcare.
“The incredible doctors, nurses, and staff in our local practices are working tirelessly, but they are being let down by a failure to plan for demand. Following the record funding settlement given to the Scottish Government by the UK Government in the budget last year, this is unacceptable. The Scottish Government must act now to expand GP capacity, allocate the necessary resources to NHS Lothian, and ensure new developments are built alongside proper infrastructure and healthcare provision.”
Ian Murray has also welcomed Anas Sarwar’s recent announcement of Scottish Labour’s plans to reform the NHS and end the “8am rush” at GP surgeries by revising the GP contract, ensuring patients can get timely appointments.
“These plans offer real, practical solutions to fix our broken NHS and ensure people in Edinburgh South can access the care they need when they need it – representing the biggest reform of the NHS in decades.
“The Scottish Government has failed to get a grip on this crisis – Scottish Labour will.”
Ian Murray is encouraging residents to share their experiences of GP access and has launched a petition to demand better services. He vowed to continue pressing for improvements and holding the Scottish Government to account.
Residents have said:
“I’m registered at a surgery in Gilmerton. I try to get through at 8 am to get an appointment, but even just a call back is impossible. By the time I get through, all appointments are gone for the day. Been trying almost 2 weeks now and never can get through.”
“I have a chronic illness, and getting a GP appointment is virtually impossible. The stress of not being able to prebook an appointment and having to call at 8am relentlessly, normally around at least a 100 redials and then to be told there is no appointment available because they only have 1 doctor available that day and they are full, is intolerable.”
“Being a new mum I haven’t got the time to be sitting about waiting for phone calls all day. I haven’t been able to get through to our GP in over a month now for an appointment. It’s really concerning when I have a 1 year old daughter and can’t get appointments for her.“
Constituents who wish to share their experiences can contact Ian Murray’s office at ian.Murray.MP@parliament.uk.
The petitions are available at:
https://www.ianmurraymp.com/edinburgh-south/2021/10/05/edinburgh-gp-crisis/ https://www.ianmurraymp.com/build-better-places/
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