A Broughty Ferry councillor has vowed to carry on fighting for a new GP practice for the area following progress in discussions over improving health services for local residents.
Community leaders have reported being inundated with complaints from residents about their inability to register for a GP at either of Broughty Ferry’s two current surgeries.
Councillor Craig Duncan said he was he was pleased with progress in tackling the issue following a meeting with the local authority’s Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Tayside but warned more needs to be done.
It has been agreed that all residents south of the A92, with the exception of the Lochleven Care Home, will now be able to register with either the Broughty Ferry Health Centre or Grove Health Centre.
Mr Duncan said this would resolve the issue for some people living in in the area, but he had been informed that others will still need to travel elsewhere to access medical services.
“This is a significant improvement for most Broughty Ferry residents but it does mean that residents north of the Arbroath Road will not yet be guaranteed a GP place at either Broughty Ferry surgery,” he said.
“These residents have now been guaranteed places at the Whitfield Surgery which is at least closer than some of the options previously offered at locations miles from Broughty Ferry.
“However, I have made the point that given Broughty Ferry’s increasing population, the medium term solution must be a new, third, Broughty Ferry GP practice, which is something I will be continuing to campaign for.”
David Lynch, chief officer of the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, confirmed the Ferry’s existing practices were “part-way through” a boundary change.
He said: “They have agreed a joint boundary, and they have discussed that new boundary with the cluster and agreed it.
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“The proposed new boundary they have agreed extends to cover the entire area south of the Arbroath Road as far as the city boundary to the east with the sole exclusion of Lochleven Nursing Home.
“They go as far as the boundary of the Broughty Ferry ward to the west (Margaret Crescent/Gardyne Road). The western boundary previously extended a couple of streets further towards Strips of Craigie.
“Essentially this means that Grove and Broughty Ferry practice will cover all of Broughty Ferry Ward south of the Arbroath Road apart from Lochleven Nursing Home. Both practices lists are open.”
Mr Lynch said Whitfield surgery had altered its southern boundary to include the entire area bounded by the Arbroath Road as far as the Dighty Burn, south to the city boundary.
Whitfield’s eastern and northern boundaries are the city boundary and their western boundary is the Forfar Road.
“Their list is open,” he added.
