Hard-working Vale hospital staff have been praised after figures revealed that more than 7500 people were treated at the out-of-hours unit in the past year.
MSP Jackie Baillie said it was “pleasing” that so many people have been able to access healthcare locally.
Data obtained by the Dumbarton constituency MSP under Freedom of Information laws revealed that 7637 patients were seen at the facility between the beginning of March last year and the end of February this year.
Walk-in cases accounted for 1932 of those who attended – a quarter of all patients seen.
The unit was fully reinstated to evening, weekend and overnight operation in February 2021, having been subject to disruption over previous years.
Problems had arisen, which board chiefs at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde attributed to difficulties in finding medical professionals to staff the service.
However, they confirmed to Labour’s Health spokeswoman that 34 GPs are currently contracted to work a four-week rota, in addition to a further 10, who provide cover as and when required.
The board also reported that, since the service was fully reinstated there “has never been a gap in service and there have always been GPs available to provide continual running of out-of-hours via the VOLGP Integrated Care service”.
Jackie Baillie said: “It is pleasing that, since the out-of-hours service at the Vale of Leven Hospital was properly reinstated that patients have been able to access the care they should expect locally.
“It is testament to the hard-working staff at the Vale of Leven Hospital and the GPs responsible for the out-of-hours service that this has been sustained over the last two years following a prolonged period of uncertainty.
“The important aspect now is that this service continues and that patients receive care when they need it. In the past the service was patchy and often cancelled due to a lack of staffing.”
But she took aim over the SNP government’s handling of the NHS, adding: “The SNP have already cut £65million from the primary care development fund in the last financial year which threatens the availability of local health services.
“I will do all that I can to support the hard-working staff at the Vale of Leven hospital and welcome the improvement in the out-of-hours service.”
A spokesperson for NHSGGC said: “The Vale of Leven Hospital plays a crucial role in delivering care to the local community.
“Our staff have worked tirelessly at a local level to create a robust sustainable and unique GP out of hours service staffed by an integrated care team to meet the needs of the area and these statistics show the system is working for the people of West Dunbartonshire and beyond.
“As with all of our GP out of hours services, the Vale has moved to appointment only as part of a new way of working to improve access and overall service provision. This move has enabled us to provide even more ways for patients to speak to a GP and with more than 50 percent of consultations now taking place virtually or over the telephone, our patients are able to receive convenient, efficient treatment from the comfort of home without having to spend time in waiting rooms, or travelling to hospital.
“We would remind any patient who thinks they need to see a GP outside of normal hours to contact NHS24 on 111 in the first instance so they can receive the most appropriate care for their needs.”
