Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2021 (Hybrid)
Let me be clear that any suggestion that GPs are not seeing people face to face because they do not want to is false, and I absolutely reject it. As our recovery plan set out, GP teams have often been working in constrained circumstances throughout the pandemic, but they have seen patients face to face when there was a clinical need to do so.
As we recover from the worst of the pandemic, I completely understand that some people, particularly in our elderly population, want to see a GP face to face. Having patient choice in a clinically safe and appropriate way is a critical part of our recovery. Public Health Scotland has recently published guidance on distancing and infection control measures in health settings that changes the 2m rule to a 1m rule, and further operational guidance that was published last week also makes it clear that there is no longer a need to triage every patient, although GPs and clinicians should continue to screen patients for Covid before seeing them face to face. I expect those actions to lead to an increase in the number of face-to-face consultations. Some people will still prefer to have a Near Me video consultation or a telephone consultation, so we will continue to promote choice.
I accept that there is a need to rapidly increase the availability of face-to-face appointments in partnership with the profession. I firmly believe that the steps that we have taken in the NHS recovery plan, the revised physical distancing and infection prevention and control guidance and the whole-hearted support of the BMA, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the wider profession will allow us to do that as quickly as possible and, more importantly, as safely as possible.
Of course, it is not just about ensuring access to services but ensuring that those services are high quality and inclusive for all communities across Scotland. We are working with our expert group to develop practical and innovative ways to improve access and care, including in our most vulnerable communities. We are considering how we can bring more healthcare workers to vulnerable communities, which will help to address issues around poverty, discrimination and injustice in access to and provision of care.