Response on behalf of Shona Robison (edited to remove personal info)

Dear Ms Mackenzie Thank you for your letter of 23 May 2018, in which you raise concerns around the closure of your local GP practise in East Kilbride. Scottish Ministers receive a large volume of correspondence and it is not always possible for them to reply personally. On this occasion, I am responding on the Cabinet Secretary’s behalf, as an official in the Primary Care Division. It is important to note, that whilst Scottish Ministers set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, statutory responsibility for service delivery rests locally with Health Boards and GP practices. Practices are contracted to provide general medical services by their local health board and not the Scottish Government. However, we do genuinely appreciate your concerns in respect of the closure of your local GP surgery. In terms of the issue raised, the doctors at Greenhills Medical Practise, have advised NHS Lanarkshire that they will be leaving the practice on 31 October 2018. NHS Lanarkshire is currently working with the doctors to ensure primary medical care continues to be delivered. We understand that NHS Lanarkshire have written out to all patients and held a public information evening on Tuesday 19 June to reassure patients that the way they currently access medical services and their access to clinical staff will not change in the interim. We are confident that the practice will continue with new doctors in place after October. We would like to reassure you that we want everyone who has mental health problems, including victims of trauma, to receive the best care and treatment for their needs. Our priority is to ensure that people who are most at risk of psychological trauma – those who were directly affected or bereaved as a result of a traumatic event – are able to access the services which will be of most benefit to them, and I am glad to hear that your GP surgery was so helpful. We fully understand that patients will be upset and anxious about changes to their general practice. However, we have to respect the decision of the current GPs who wish to leave; our primary objective is to continue to provide high quality clinical services to the patients at this practice. I hope the information I have outlined is helpful. Yours sincerely Hilary Lagha Primary Care Division