NHS Borders has confirmed that they intend to close Cockburnspath surgery from August this year. The decision has been made partly because of a “national shortage of GPs” and the challenges of attracting GPs to rural practices.
More than 200 patients registered at Cockburnspath will now be forced to travel to Eyemouth in order to access GP medical care.
Local MP John Lamont and MSP Rachael Hamilton have described the decision as “very disappointing” and are urging the medical practice to ensure that patients are supported during the closure.
The closure of yet another surgery in Scotland is part of an ongoing trend with the numbers of GP surgeries now at a ten-year low.
Commenting, John Lamont MP said: “This is a really disappointing decision which will make it more difficult for some to access GP care. To announce a closure with only a month’s notice is far from ideal and the priority must be to ensure that patients are properly supported during this time.
“GPs and staff work incredibly hard in the Borders and surgeries are under a huge amount of pressure. This closure is unfortunately part of a wider trend across Scotland. The SNP Government needs to do more to support GPs with recruitment and this should start with an increase in financial support.”
Rachael Hamilton MSP added: “We are facing a GP crisis right across Scotland and it is time the SNP acted. The closure of Cockburnspath takes away an important local service. Residents want to be treated as close to home as possible, but the closure of local surgeries just means people are more likely to access under pressure emergency care or costly secondary care.
“The Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly called for the Scottish Government to properly support our GPs. As part of a wider plan to improve recruitment and invest in IT infrastructure, GPs should be receiving additional funding and this needs to be in place as soon as possible.”