Inverness medical centre stops taking new patients
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An Inverness medical centre has declared it will take no further new registrations for patients due to the size of its building.
Culloden Surgery and Culloden Medical Practice, in Keppoch Road, has a combined 13,000 patients and comprise of teams of GPs, primary care pharmacists, physiotherapists and mental health workers. Midwives, health visitors and community nurses have also worked with the practices.
There is a formal process in place for practices to formally close their lists and NHS Highland will now support the practices through the process.
A spokeswoman for the health board said: "NHS Highland will continue to work closely with the Culloden Practice to pursue suitable alternatives to alleviate their accommodation pressures. As there is limited capital resource available to support new buildings at the present time, maximising the use of alternatives will be key."
Inverness South councillor Duncan Macpherson said: “I recall reading a review document a few years ago from NHS medical practices in the Inverness area, stating that only three or four of the 10 doctors’ practices were actually ‘fit for purpose’ and it recommended the closure of several and the amalgamation of these to create new 21st century medical practices to accommodate the growing population of the Inverness area.
“Sadly, it appears that NHS Highland and the Inverness doctors surgeries and the various health ministers of government have not moved on from their report's findings and now we can all see the effects of their inactivity to build new facilities and fit for purpose medical practices.
“In Fort William, they have amalgamated three medical practices into one large health centre with additions of district nurses and NHS school dentist all in one centre, that’s the future of modern healthcare for communities and it takes desire, commitment, significant investment and long-term planning to make it happen, along with government funding.”
Inverness has 10 GP practices
1. Culloden Surgery and Culloden Medical Practice, in Keppoch Road.
2. Burnfield Medical Practice, in Harris Road.
3. Dunedin Medical Practice, in Old Edinburgh Road.
4. Southside Road Surgery, in Southside Road.
5. Cairn Medical Practice, in Culduthel Road.
6. Kingsmills Medical Practice, in Southside Road.
7. Crown Medical Practice, in Crown Avenue.
8. Fairfield Medical Practice, in Abban Street.
9. Riverside Medical Practice, in Ballifeary Lane.
10. Kinmylies Medical Practice, in Assynt Road.
