Angus MP Kirstene Hair has asked health chiefs to broker a solution to an “untenable” system for arranging GP appointments.
Patients who attend Brechin Health Centre have been seen on a triage basis since the practice started running with fewer GPs a number of years ago.
Weekday patients are asked to call at 8am to book a slot, once emergency appointments have been made.
This can result in them being told to call back the following day.
Ms Hair has now asked the new chief executive of NHS Tayside, Grant Archibald, to intervene and prevent people from having to ring an “extraordinary” number of times.
In her letter to Mr Archibald, Ms Hair describes the situation facing residents as “untenable”.
She said: “Last year I was told the practice is back to full strength in terms of GPs, but this arrangement persists.
“I understand that staff are doing their best to accommodate as many patients as possible.
“However, I believe the local health board should be aware there are fundamental issues with the current appointment system.
“And I don’t think this is an issue which is unique in any way to Brechin.”
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside acknowledged it could be frustrating for patients trying to get an appointment at the practice, but added: “Over the past four years, NHS Tayside has made a number of improvements to Brechin Health Centre including a new telecommunication system, which has significantly increased the call capacity in the practice.
“Clinical staffing has also increased significantly and this has supported additional appointment capacity.
“The practice team has worked hard to continue to review the appointment system to ensure they are supporting access to a wide range of services for the patient population.
“A significant proportion of issues can be dealt with by telephone and those who do require to be seen same day will be seen.”
The spokesperson said pre-bookable appointments were available for non-urgent matters and were available to book a minimum of four weeks in advance.
Responding to the concerns, Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman MSP highlighted that GP numbers in Angus had increased by more than 11% since 2016.
She said: “We are investing a further £7.5 million in Scotland in 2018/19 in GP recruitment and retention.
“By 2020/21 we will have increased medical schools places by 22%, equivalent to an extra 190 places.”
Patients registered with Brechin Health Centre who have concerns or feedback regarding their care are encouraged to discuss then directly with the practice or via feedback.tayside@nhs.net or 0800 027 5507.
