Concerns have been raised the health of elderly residents living in Blair Atholl could be put at risk if the local GP surgery is shut permanently.
A public consultation on plans to shut the village’s centre revealed concerns about the potential impact it could have on vulnerable, elderly members of the community.
Blair Atholl Surgery, which is a branch of Atholl Medical Centre, was shut in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and has not reopened.
Pitlochry-based Atholl Medical Centre subsequently submitted a formal application to NHS Tayside in September 2021 to close the branch permanently.
The centre cited the lack of available permanent GPs, concerns regarding the safety of GPs working alone and the array of services provided in Pitlochry as reasons for the proposed closure.
What has the local reaction been?
A public consultation on the proposed closure was held between June and September this year.
The age demographic of the community and the lack of public transport were among the most commons reasons for residents objecting to the closure.
A report on the consultation, which will be presented to the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB), highlights more than 65% of respondents had concerns about the “unusually high elderly population” in Blair Atholl.
This, the report states, means it is difficult for many residents to access
public transport, “especially during the winter months due to mobility issues”.
An aged population also means “it’s less likely that these individuals have
access to their own private transport”, the reports notes.
A further concern was raised regarding elderly residents “not having the resources to access help online” meaning if the closure were to be made permanent, the risks of more serious health issues “would increase”.
The report to the IJB also noted the objection to the closure proposals from the Blair Atholl & Struan Community Council.
In its response, the community council highlighted the difficulty residents had accessing the Pitlochry surgery by public transport due to the “restricted bus service” and “almost non-existent train service”.
What happens next?
The consultation report noted that Atholl Medical Centre has reviewed the comments and still “wishes to proceed with the application for branch closure”.
However, it recommended that consideration be given to providing community support for travel to GP appointments.
Conversation