Scottish First Minister John Swinney has opened the first of fifteen walk-in GP centres as part of a push to ease the burden on the NHS.
Similar to the urgent treatment centres launched in England in 2017, Scotland’s “national network” of walk-in clinics will grant patients urgent medical care on the day without the need for an appointment.
The £36million pilot programme, which was announced at the SNP’s annual conference in Aberdeen last October, targets health authorities buckling under the strain of appointment shortages.
The Wester Hailes Medical Practice in Edinburgh is the first to be opened and will offer walk-in appointments from 12pm until 8pm seven days a week.
The Scottish Government has pitched the services “to compliment existing GP practices, NHS24, community pharmacy and hospitals,” with services “focused on urgent, on-the-day primary care needs, similar to the care currently provided by GP out-of-hours services”.
Opening the service, Mr Swinney said: “I’m delighted that we’ve opened the first of the GP walk-in clinics that I promised would be delivered to deal with the 8am rush and to improve access to GP services in Scotland.
“This is an important aspect of our services which will complement existing GP services around the country; open up thousands of new appointments to make sure that people can walk in to receive those services between 12pm and 8pm seven days a week; so that we can improve that access to GP services; and the access to services that people in Scotland require.
“It’s an SNP Government commitment I’m delighted that we are delivering.”
After hearing the announcement, Scottish Labour accused the SNP of coming up with health policy “off the hoof”.
NHS Scotland has been Scottish Labour’s constant metric of successive SNP Government failures.
Anas Sarwar regularly blasts the SNP for its record at First Minister’s Questions and on the campaign trail ahead of May 7.
In particular, the 8am rush for GP appointments has long been a lightening rod for Scottish Labour’s attacks on the SNP’s neglect of NHS Scotland.
The Scottish Government has even been accused of pushing the health service onto life support.
Director of primary care for NHS Lothian, Tracey McKigen said: “We are proud to be launching this pilot service in collaboration with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership.
“It will add to the range of health services in Wester Hailes and make it easier for local patients registered with eight eligible GP practices in southwest Edinburgh to get same day care for new, urgent conditions.”
The Scottish Government added that the details of the other 14 centres will be unveiled in due course.