Scotland to review branch surgery closure rules

Scottish regulations on branch surgery closures are to be reviewed, following an independent report into Moray coast branch surgeries closure.

New guidance aims to provide clearer guidance on the governance processes to be followed relating to branch closures and to reflect the current context.

In the case of the (non-dispensing) Moray coast branch surgeries, sustainability concerns were touted among the reasons for surgery rationalisation.

Under new recommendations, where sustainability concerns are a driver, processes must acknowledge that the loss of local branch surgeries are of detriment to local communities, including in ways that cannot be easily measured such as individual patient outcomes or cost transfer to patients.

In the report, the Scottish Government highlights the need for local health service policy to devise proactive and innovative rural solutions rather than an acceptance of ‘second best’ for rural communities. The report acknowledges that the loss of a local surgery is also a loss for that community.

Appealing the practice closures, patients highlighted advantages of branch practices including easy access to primary health care and faster and more proactive identification of health issues. They also expressed frustration around the available transport options, particularly on the use of volunteer services for transport, or the unfeasibility of the scheduled bus service.

Rurality Scotland