Graham Simpson is calling on the Health Secretary to find an urgent solution to the GP crisis in Lanarkshire.
The Central Scotland MSP's call comes after it was revealed at a health board briefing on Friday that the situation was at a 'critical juncture'.
During a debate in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Simpson shared the experiences of a number of constituents who have been forced to pay for private healthcare because they couldn’t access their GP.
He referenced one constituent in particular who had to pay thousands to see a GP privately and pay for a minor procedure.
It was also revealed at the briefing that Lanarkshire has the lowest number of GPs per thousand people in the whole of Scotland.
The Tory MSP highlighted how this situation is putting additional pressure on NHS Lanarkshire’s hospitals – which has spent 315 days at Code Black since October 2021.
In September, only 56.7 per cent of attendees at A&E’s in Lanarkshire were seen within four hours - the second worst month on record - and 2361 patients spent more than eight hours in the waiting room.
He added that these problems pre-date the pandemic and that Health Secretary Humza Yousaf must "get a grip of the situation".
MSP for Central Scotland, Graham Simpson said: "At a health board briefing on Friday it was clear there are serious issues in Lanarkshire and we are at a critical juncture.
"Lanarkshire has the lowest number of GPs per thousand people in the whole of Scotland and some practices are close to a tipping point.
"Too many people can’t even get through to their surgeries and just give up trying. That leads to worse problems down the line.
"The situation is grim and something has to change but Humza Yousaf has been posted missing while the problems mount.
"It was a depressing briefing. I have no confidence that anything is going to change soon."
The Scottish government said it "recognised" the "significant pressure" staff are facing within NHS Lanarkshire and across health and care services, adding that it will continue to do all it can to "seek to alleviate" those demand pressures.
To support GPs, over 3,220 healthcare professionals have been recruited into multi-disciplinary teams working alongside GPs.
And the Scottish government has pledged £170 million a year investment to help grow these teams and further increase the number of GPs in Scotland.
A £20,000 bursary is offered as an incentive to GPs to increase rural and other hard to fill vacancies.
A spokesman said: "We have already delivered a record number of GPs working in Scotland, with more per head than any other country in the UK."
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