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Scottish doctors object to planned surgery shake-up

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24 September 2008

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Health chiefs have received a petition from GPs objecting to the removal of health visitors from their practices.

Dr Euan Paterson and Dr Anne Mullin delivered the signatures to the headquarters of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde accompanied by representatives from the Scottish Patients Association opposed to the planned shake-up.

Plans to remove health visitors from practices and locate them in social work services on a geographical basis are part of the health board’s review of nursing in the community.

Health chiefs say it will give highly skilled health visitors more time with the children and parents who need them most.

But the Scottish General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association claim the move will break up teams which had served patients well. It also complained of a lack of appropriate consultation over the move.

Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the committee, has previously said the proposed change would have a “detrimental effect” on patients.

“This would break up a well-established team which sees GPs, health visitors and district nurses all working well together,” he said.

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Scottish Patients Association