Fergus Ewing calls on Humza Yousaf or his successor to let GPs deliver vaccinations
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SNP MSP Fergus Ewing has called on Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf – or his successor – to intervene to enable Highland GPs to continue to provide vaccination and other services.
The Inverness and Nairn representative was speaking amid growing concerns that NHS Highland, which is already under pressure, is not delivering as vaccination clinics are cancelled.
He said: “For the past year I have been working to enable our GPs to offer these vital services. I was advised by the cabinet secretary that under the GP contract, seen as a central belt focused policy, these services would no longer be provided by GPs even though many in the Highlands want to continue to do so.
“I was assured that the health board would provide a parallel new service. Well that has not worked out, with 10 clinics due to take place in March having already been cancelled. This is despite having had six years to prepare for these new services.”
Mr Ewing added: “Local GPs have produced evidence that they can provide the service more efficiently and at much lower expense.
“In fact, they provided the pre-Covid entire programme of childhood, flu, shingles and others for approximately £1.5 million per annum where the cheapest option, as costed by the health board, is £5.4 million but could be as much as £7.9 million.
“Why on earth introduce a brand new and additional layer of service provision when the GPs can provide them already and more efficiently and more locally? This is surely just madness.
“There are also serious concerns that if children and others do not get their jabs we could see a resurgence in serious diseases.
“I am disappointed that the cabinet secretary for health has not already intervened and banged heads together to allow the common sense solution to be delivered, by our GPs and their teams as they are ready to do.
“Taking NHS staff away from Raigmore and mental health services in order to deliver new vaccination teams makes no sense either, at a time of acute staff shortages. It will only make these problems worse.”
