Bridge of Earn patients remain in the dark as surgery closure date looms
The Perthshire practice will close on Friday with NHS Tayside blaming the bank holiday for a delay in patients receiving letters of their new centre
With three days to go until Bridge of Earn surgery closes - patients still don't know what practice they'll be moved to.
The Perthshire facility will shut on Friday after NHS Tayside failed to replace two doctors who are leaving.
3,500 patients were supposed to find out yesterday - but Gillian Casser said they're all still in the dark.
"I'm feeling very angry I've still received no letter, I don't know where me and my daughters are supposed to go.
"They're claiming they're going to send out letters any day now but the surgery closes in three days and no one knows where we're supposed to go."
Conservative MP for Ochil and South Perthshire Luke Graham has hit out at the lack of transparency from the health board.
"The level of communication has been outrageous. With just a few days to go till the surgery is due to close, people don't have letter, they have no certainty of their own records and there's no clear decision making from NHS Tayside," he said
"It is outrageous. I'll be calling for an inquiry in Holyrood about this."
"We need to have clear transparency about how this decision came about and also hold those to account at NHS Tayside who made this decision without consulting with elected representatives and the community which they are meant to do."
NHS Tayside medical director Professor Peter Stonebridge admits patients deserve an apology for how the situation has been handled.
"There is always lessons to learn about handling situations like this which are clearly very close to the community's heart, there is obviously a significant amount of upset," he said.
"I suspect it's revolved around more inclusion of the community council so that we meet them early and tell them the difficulties.
"There is an apology around needing more sophistication, we could've gone on the journey more but I think we would have ended in the same place."
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said letters informing patients of their new practice have been sent out but have been delayed due to the bank holiday.