NHS Lanarkshire says all local GP practices are moving to a four week “managed suspension of services” and will focus only on the most urgent and time-critical patients.

The board says it is experiencing ‘more pressure than at any other point in its history’ due to record covid-19 infections and high numbers of staff being off sick.

Dr Linda Findlay, Medical Director for the South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, says the decision has been made to ensure those most in need can be seen:

“This change to GP practices will help us deal with the continuing challenges in community services and help reduce the pressure across the whole system, including our acute hospitals which are under sustained pressure.”

Dr Keith McIntyre, Chair of Lanarkshire GP Sub-Committee, says he and his colleagues will continue to see patients who need them most:

“We are asking Lanarkshire residents for their continued help and support during this challenging time.

“The services provided under this change will vary between practices depending on their individual circumstances. However, GPs will continue to see patients in-person as and when it is appropriate. Practices have infection control processes in place, including physical distancing.

“People should continue to contact their GP practice for urgent issues, such as if they think they have symptoms of cancer.”

In a briefing for its own staff and contractors obtained by Scottish Labour, NHS Lanarkshire says the only way it can preserve what it calls “never services” – the ones it would never wish to stop – is by redeploying staff to these areas from other services, which may have to be paused or reduced as a result.

The briefing says the prioritisation process is taking place across the organisation:

‘Each part of the organisation has been asked to identify their never services and is responsible for prioritising staffing to deliver these.

‘A new group has been set up as part of NHS Lanarkshire’s strategic command structure to help identify solutions where a service does not have sufficient staff to continue without additional support. The group will make recommendations to the existing Clinical Tactical Group which reports to the NHS Lanarkshire Strategic Command Group.’

NHS Lanarkshire has been particularly hard-hit by high case numbers and staff absences with additional military support agreed last month, alongside NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Grampian.

Just before Christmas, the Director of Health and Social Care in South Lanarkshire used his Christmas message to ask the public to show kindness and patience to staff facing what he called “relentless pressures”.

Last week the board appealed directly to families to take in relatives whose discharge from hospital is being delayed by difficulties finding a care home place or care at home package – repeating a call it first made in October when it said hospitals were reaching “maximum capacity”.

NHS Lanarkshire is stressing that GP surgeries and health centres will remain open and continue to provide a mix of services, while doctors themselves focus on people who need to be seen urgently, including patients with respiratory or serious illness following Covid 19 infection.

 

Read More: Councils agree to divert staff to social care; Lanarkshire appoints public health director; Festive plea for kindness to staff; NHS board asks relatives to help “free up” beds

 

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