8. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to discuss out-of-hours GP services in Inverclyde. (S6O-02989)

The Scottish Government engages regularly with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as it does with other health boards, on a variety of issues, including the provision of out-of-hours services. Healthcare Improvement Scotland is supporting the health board directly in relation to the service provision in Inverclyde, to ensure quality engagement on any permanent change to that service. The Scottish Government has been sighted on that process.

Communities across Inverclyde, in my region, are deeply concerned about the possibility of a permanent reduction in availability of their out-of-hours services and what that will mean for local communities. I pay tribute to local campaigners, including local councillors—in particular, Martin McCluskey—for all their work in pushing forward the case for the value of those services. That marks quite a contrast to the member for Greenock and Inverclyde, who, according to reports in the

Greenock Telegraph

, has already given up the fight and accepted that his constituents and mine will have to put up with reduced services.

Does the cabinet secretary recognise the value and importance of a full out-of-hours service in Inverclyde? Will he listen to local people’s views and deliver more than just a weekend-only out-of-hours service, as local people deserve?

As Paul O’Kane will be aware, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has undertaken a full consultation exercise that closed last month and is presently being analysed by the board. Healthcare Improvement Scotland has a clear process for looking at any review of what may be classed as a major service.

It is important to recognise that the reintroduction of the part-time service on Saturdays complements the existing home visiting service, which remains operational throughout evenings and weekends and overnight. However, it is important that any decision that is arrived at takes into account the concerns and issues that have been raised by the local community during the consultation process.

It is frustrating that the general practitioner out-of-hours service in Inverclyde is to be limited to Saturdays and public holidays. However, having attended one of the health board’s public consultations on the service changes, I am aware that just over a third of people from Inverclyde who need to see a GP out of hours are given a face-to-face appointment, with the remainder being given video, telephone or home appointments. I want a full service to be reinstated to Inverclyde, but not to the extent of losing the accident and emergency provision, concern over which was very much highlighted at the consultation that I attended. If Paul O’Kane had been there, he would have heard that.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is important that we consider the full context in which those decisions have been taken and, ultimately, do not mislead the public, as some have done in the press, by suggesting that Inverclyde does not have an out-of-hours GP service?

I recognise the concerns and issues that Stuart McMillan has raised, and I have made the point about the services that are available, including the home visiting service, which remains operational throughout evenings and weekends and overnight. It is important that people are not left with the impression that no services are available in the Inverclyde area. I agree with Stuart McMillan that we would like there to be greater out-of-hours service coverage across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including in Inverclyde.

I want to make sure that the process that has been followed by the board in holding the consultation exercise is in line with the Healthcare Improvement Scotland guidance on such matters and that, at the conclusion of that exercise, we have a clearer understanding of the most appropriate path for dealing with out-of-hours services in the Inverclyde area.

One of the problems with not having out-of-hours GP services is that people will simply present at A and E, adding more pressure to already overstretched departments, particularly at Inverclyde Royal hospital but right across Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary explain what additional resource support he can offer to A and E departments to deal with that influx of patients when no other services are available?

We have to wait for the outcome of the consultation exercise in Inverclyde. However, I do not disagree with the point that Jamie Greene has made about the potential impact on A and E departments if there is no access to out-of-hours services.

This winter, specific work has been undertaken to make sure that there is greater resilience in our out-of-hours services across the country, which has been effective over the past month or two because of the actions that we have taken. Notwithstanding that, I recognise Jamie Greene’s concerns, which is why we will look very closely at the outcomes of the consultation and the impact that they could have on wider services.

The Presiding Officer:

That concludes general question time.