Two Inverness medical practices tell NHS Highland they are closing their doors to new patients amid concerns over spiralling numbers
Two medical practices in a rapidly-growing area of Inverness are to stop accepting new patients amid concerns over pressure of numbers.
Culloden Medical Practice and Culloden Surgery have told NHS Highland they are closing their lists and will not be registering new patients.
The decisions will take effect tomorrow, Thursday, August 1, with the block in place for one year.
The move comes after several years in which both practices have raised concerns about their increasing list size, accelerated by the high volume of new homes being built in the area.
Discussions were held with NHS Highland about expanding the size of their premises, but with a pause in capital spending now at play across NHS Scotland, no premises work can progress at this time.
The two medic 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.
Jill Mitchell, NHS Highland’s head of Primary Care, said: “This has been a difficult decision for both practices, who play a vital role at the heart of their local community.
“However, both practices have seen their list size continue to increase over the years.
“The lack of funding to explore increasing the size of the building has led to this decision being made to ensure they can continue to deliver high quality, patient-centred care to their registered patients.
“The practices will communicate directly with patients to inform them of this decision, and they will be in touch with local community councils to address any concerns they may have.
“Local people who are not registered with either practice and require access to general practice services can find details on the NHS Highland website of other practices open to new registrations.
“The website also has details of how to request registration support.
“We recognise this is a difficult situation and we are committed to working closely with the practices to identify solutions which best meet their needs, and the needs of the local community.”
details of how to find a GP surgery in the NHS Highland area can be found here.
