Health and social care services across Lanarkshire are continuing to experience more pressure than at any other point in their history. Due to this sustained pressure, record Covid-19 numbers and ongoing staff sickness absence, NHS Lanarkshire has asked GP practices to prioritise urgent care to help keep our health services safe.
GPs continue to deliver services, but the reduction in the community services which support general practice – for example, treatment rooms, reduces GPs’ ability to deliver all the services that they would wish.
From Tuesday 11 January for four weeks, all local GP practices moved to a ‘managed suspension of services’ which means they will focus on the most urgent and time-critical care. This includes the assessment of people with respiratory or covid-19 symptoms, along with providing a range of other services.
Dr Linda Findlay, medical director, South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “GPs have been open throughout the pandemic and have been busier than ever. This change to GP practices will help us deal with the continuing challenges in community services and help reduce the pressure across the whole system, including our acute hospitals which are under sustained pressure.”
To read more, visit www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/news-gps-move-urgent-care/
