THURSDAY, 1 JUNE, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Invergowrie Medical Practice Update

Patients of Invergowrie Medical Practice have been written to today with information about where their future GP practice will be following the decision that their GP practice is to close later this month.

Invergowrie Medical Practice, which is run by the GP partner at Ancrum One GP Practice in Dundee, has experienced ongoing doctor recruitment issues over the past few years and therefore the GP gave notice to NHS Tayside that they were terminating their contract in Invergowrie.

This notice to give up the contract means that the Board and both Perth and Kinross and Dundee Health and Social Care Partnerships have been working together to look at all the possible options which would ensure Invergowrie patients can access GP services starting from Monday, 19 June 2023.

This included options to tender the contract out to another GP practice, offer a merger opportunity to other practices, and explore the possibility of running the practice with NHS salaried GPs. Unfortunately no tenders were received, no other practices came forward with a merger proposal and the local and national shortage of GPs meant that an NHS-run practice could not be achieved in a safe and sustainable way.

The preferred option which was proposed to the Board and presented by Dr David Shaw, NHS Tayside Interim Associate Medical Director for Primary Care and Gail Smith, Chief Officer of Angus Health and Social Care Partnership, was that the majority of Invergowrie patients would remain with their current doctors and clinical team and move to Ancrum One GP Practice 2.6 miles away. The remaining patients would transfer to other GP practices local to where they live, including Carse Medical Practice and Muirhead Medical Practice.

Board members acknowledged that this was a situation that no one wanted but that it reflected the challenging GP workforce recruitment and retention situation which is facing many communities across the UK.

Dr David Shaw, NHS Tayside Interim Associate Medical Director for Primary Care said, “It is upsetting every time a community loses a GP; we understand the impact this will have on patients and we have heard the community voices and know that it is not the outcome they would wish.

“We have worked really hard with Dundee and Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnerships to try to secure a safe way forward which would allow GP services to continue to be delivered in Invergowrie, but the GP workforce is just not there at this time.

“We hope to offer continuity of care by keeping many patients connected with their existing GP and healthcare team and by offering others a GP practice local to where they live.

“However, we are going to keep working together to focus on the immediate next steps to deliver primary care services in the village from the medical centre building, including access to district nurses and other Care and Treatment Services.

“Teams are also going to look at enhancing the use of Near Me and other digital consultation services in Invergowrie and in Ancrum One GP Practice to support patients who are less able to travel.”

All registered patients have been sent individual letters to advise them of this decision along with the details of their automatic registration with their new GP. An FAQ document is also being sent to patients with additional information about the transfer.

Patients do not need to do anything further as from Monday, 19 June they will be registered with their new GP practice.

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138