Alex steps up pressure on GP appointments and NHS Dentistry

It’s getting so much harder to get a timely appointment with a GP or access to an NHS dentist and all over West Edinburgh, people aren’t getting seen in good time for conditions that cause them pain and anxiety and have the potential to become more acute. This is not the fault of clinicians, but rather poor Ministerial planning and a failure of government policy.

Local Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton is fighting hard to get the SNP Government to pay this the attention it deserves. In a range of interventions, questions and debates he has raised this repeatedly in Parliament, and has unveiled a plan to improve access to local health care.

Alex said: “On dentistry, we should make it much easier for foreign trained dentists to register here, at present there is too much red tape and many fully qualified dentists are unable to practice and working in other professions.

"Ministers also need to get back round the table to look at the fee structure for NHS work. Reforms brought in at the end of last year, clearly haven’t improved access.

“On GP access, our surgeries are on their knees with doctors being forced to take on far too many appointments each week. The government should make good on commitments to provide surgeries with Mental Health professionals, physiotherapists and enhance the role of pharmacists to help lighten the load on hard working GPs.

"There is also a case for looking again at the GP contract given the impact of the cost of living.”