More than 200 anxious residents packed into Dunbarney Parish Church last night as NHS Tayside chiefs were grilled on the future of of Bridge of Earn medical practice, or lack thereof.
The Earn Community Council meeting was expanded to allow worried villagers the chance to quiz the health board’s management about where they will be receiving primary healthcare from as of next week.
However, the answer – for at least the next 12 weeks – will be coming through the patients’ letterboxes in the next 48 hours.
On the panel were interim medical director Professor Peter Stonebridge, associate director of primary care services Dr Jane Bruce and integration joint board chief Gordon Paterson.
But it was NHS Tayside general manager Jane Haskett who confirmed letters to the 3,500 registered patients were sent out first class yesterday. Each letter has given patients a surgery they have been asked to attend for three months “until things settle down” before seeking somewhere else to register if they choose.
Ms Haskett explained patients would be decanted to one of six Perth surgeries or two Kinross practices.
Which practice residents are issued has been decided on a postcode basis.
She also confirmed that nobody would be shifted to practice administered by NHS Fife, unless they personally went to register there themselves.
She said: “It was the doctors’ choice to leave and we can’t force them to stay.
“We have explored all options and spoken to GPs in Perth to see if they are willing to merge practices or take on a different contract.
“Nobody came forward.”
This is the first communication from NHS Tayside that registered patients have received since the serving GPs handed in their notice nearly three months ago and the decision to close the practice was made last week.
Liz Smith MSP, who attended the meeting, said: “This is an essential service and the lack of communication has been appalling.
“There are a lot of elderly and vulnerable people here with serious transport concerns.”
