THE case of a Greenock mum who was told to take her sick teenage daughter to a Paisley hospital during a severe storm has put the row over cuts to the local GP out-of-hours service back in the spotlight.

Greenock Telegraph:

West Scotland MSP Paul O'Kane recently raised concerns with the health secretary in parliament over NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde's decision not to resume a full-time GP out-of-hours operation in Inverclyde.

The service had been located at Greenock Health Centre and then IRH before being suspended in February 2020 following two years of short notice closures because of a shortage of doctors.

Last year the Tele revealed the board was intent on moving permanently to a situation where people would have to travel to Paisley or Glasgow, apart from on Saturdays and public holidays, with a consultation later launched.

Greenock Telegraph:

As campaigners continue to put pressure on the health board over the matter, a local mum has now hit out at the lack of cover for the area.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "I called NHS 24 at 6.15pm after discovering my daughter was unwell when I came home from work.

"I was on the phone for an hour, then they said they'd need to see her, and someone would call me back soon.

"I got a phone call at 9.50pm from a Glasgow number and they advised me to head up to RAH in Paisley.

"I asked whether there was an out of hours down here and was told no. I then asked could I take her to IRH and they said yes I could.

"I went to IRH at 10pm and sat there for three and a half hours and we'd only seen a triage nurse. I decided to take my daughter home and manage her care in the house with painkillers, as no one could give me an answer when she would be seen.

"I find it incredible that the Met Office had issued an “only travel if essential” warning and there was a storm danger to life warning and there was not a GP to cover Inverclyde.

"Surely someone within the NHS could see that there would be an issue with people travelling?"

The move to not reinstate a full time out-of-hours centre has proved controversial, and Labour MSP Mr O'Kane and former health board member Councillor Jim Clocherty are unhappy with MSP Stuart McMillan's stance.

Mr O'Kane said: "From the beginning my Scottish Labour colleagues and I have been calling for a full return and reinstatement of out-of-hours services, but Stuart McMillan was happy to help downplay local people’s expectations and it sounds like he has given up.

“It is really unfortunate that he views it as a fight that’s already over. But what has to be remembered is the community’s views, the consultation and the will of local politicians who certainly aren’t prepared to give up on this.”

Greenock Telegraph:

Cllr Clocherty added: "I am shocked and disappointed that the Inverclyde MSP has said that he accepts the GP out-of-hours cuts. At the council we recently agreed to send a letter to the chief executive of the health board opposing the cuts and stating that we want a full GP out-of-hours service reinstated in Inverclyde. This was supported by all elected members. I can't understand why Stuart McMillan would break this consensus and say he accepts what the health board is proposing."

But Mr McMillan insists he is pushing for a better service.

He said: “As I said in the Scottish Parliament chamber, and also before, I want a full-time GP out-of-hours centre in Inverclyde during all out-of-hours periods. However, that was not an option at the current consultation. What has been offered though is not good enough, and I want an increased level of service.

“Fundamentally, I disagree with the health board’s position but also want a service that is stable and reliable. We did not have that for far too long. When I took into consideration all the facts and the context in which we live, I decided to call for an extension of the GP OOH centre in Inverclyde, which currently only operates on Saturdays and public holidays.

“On this occasion, Cllr Clocherty and myself want the same thing. So despite Cllr Clocherty’s attempts to sow division, I do not see this as breaking consensus.

"I feel I am taking a reasoned approach after examining all the information in front of me and exploring different avenues to try to improve local access to the service."

NHS GGC said while they couldn't comment on the case cited by the Tele, they were 'sorry if this family member was not happy with the location to which they were directed'.

A spokesperson added: "With extensive patient involvement, NHS GGC has moved to an appointment-based model of delivering care in Inverclyde and across the NHS GGC area.

"This change has resulted in a reduction of waiting times, fewer unplanned closures of sites and a high degree of satisfaction from those accessing the service.

"As we seek to create a long-term, robust and sustainable out of hours model, NHS GGC sought extensive feedback from patients and the public, and the results of those engagement sessions will be used to inform delivery of a service that meets the needs of patients now, and in the future."