Changes to GP out-of-hours cover proposed

NHS Highland plans to make changes to the provision of out-of-hours cover in the north and west Highlands.

The health board said its plans involved enlarging geographical areas covered by doctors.

It said the number of evenings and weekend calls from some of the affected places were "very small".

But John Maclean, of Glenelg and Arnisdale Community Council, said communities in his area were "extremely perturbed" by the plans.

The proposals were considered by NHS Highland's board at a meeting on Tuesday.

The board's members agreed to a "direction of travel" for the plans, which would take time to implement.

Dr Michael Foxely, a member of the health board and a former GP, and Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said they had concerns about the proposals.

'Dramatically reduced'

Before the meeting, GP Antonia Reed said the health board wanted to ensure services remained available to people living in remote and rural areas.

She said: "What we are going to do is make some of the geographical areas larger so that the GP will cover a slightly larger patch.

"In some places the amount of calls in evenings and weekends are very, very small and in many of those cases the patients are dealt with elsewhere anyway."

Mr Maclean, who is co-chairman of Glenelg and Arnisdale Community Council, said the proposals were a cause for concern.

He said: "There is no doubt that the level of medical cover is going to be dramatically reduced and everybody is extremely perturbed about the situation.

"I think the community would want to revert back to a permanent medical practitioner based in Glenelg."