Staff shortage to close Aberdeen GP Surgery

A GP surgery in Aberdeen is to close after being unable to fill staff vacancies.

Rosemount Medical Group, which has around 4,500 patients, will shut its doors in January.

In a statement on the surgery's website, the partners expressed their “deep regret” at the move.

“This is not a decision that has been made lightly,” they said.

“The practice has been unable to recruit to vacancies, two GPs intend to retire soon and, with a growing patient list, the practice considers it will be unable to continue to provide a high level of patient care.”

Helen Gregory, principal GP of Rosemount Medical Group, said: “The partners and staff have enjoyed caring for our patients and their families over the years and so this has been an extremely difficult decision for us.

“Unfortunately we find ourselves in a position of not being able to recruit to GP vacancies and we have two GP retirements in the near future.

“We wish to assure our patients that we will continue to provide high-quality care for them until the end of January next year and we thank them for their loyalty.”

The group said it was working with Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership to look at alternatives.

The partnership's interim chief officer, Sally Shaw, said: “Like many practices across the country, Rosemount Medical Group has found it challenging to maintain a full practice team.

“The doctors have now made the difficult decision to end their contract with NHS Grampian at the end of January 2019.

“GP services will continue as normal at Rosemount over the next six months. There is no need for patients to change their practice at this time.

“Over the coming weeks and months, we will be working to ensure that all of Rosemount's patients continue to have access to general medical services beyond January 2019.

“All patients, staff and stakeholders will be kept fully informed of developments.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The north east faces a range of complex challenges, including recruiting and retaining GPs and clinical staff.

“To address this, we are increasing NHS Grampian's budget by more than £315 million and are delivering an increase of more than 800 staff.

“We recognise the need for more doctors and have taken a range of actions to increase medical undergraduate places across the country. By 2020 the intake rise by 22% from the 2015 level.

“We have also negotiated a new GP contract to stabilise income, reduce workload, and improve patient care - backed by investment of £110 million this year to ensure GPs can spend more time with patients and less time on bureaucracy.”

Scottish Labour's health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “Labour has consistently warned the SNP government that they are sleepwalking into a GP recruitment crisis which will have devastating consequences for communities across Scotland.

“If SNP ministers do not listen to Labour's call to use the powers of the parliament to properly fund our under-resourced health service more local surgeries will close.”

Miles Briggs, for the Scottish Conservatives, said: “This is simply further evidence of a staff crisis throughout our NHS created by the SNP.

“The SNP has had sole responsibility for the Scottish NHS for 11 years now, and they have simply failed to ensure we have enough doctors and nurses."