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No ‘magic bullet’ to solve transport issues for patients in Burghead and Hopeman facing surgery closures

Concerns have been raised over patients from Burghead, Hopeman and surrounding areas travelling to Lossiemouth, pictured, to see a GP amid proposed surgery closures.
Concerns have been raised over patients from Burghead, Hopeman and surrounding areas travelling to Lossiemouth, pictured, to see a GP amid proposed surgery closures.

There is no “magic bullet” for the travel problems facing patients in Moray coastal villages who need to see a GP.

Burghead and Hopeman surgeries could permanently close, depending on the outcome of a consultation.

Health and Social Care Moray will begin the 12-week consultation this week.

Run by Moray Coast Medical Practice based in Lossiemouth, both surgeries have been closed since the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.

Independent councillor for Heldon and Laich John Cowe has raised concerns.

There is no direct service bus connecting the communities. As a result, some people have to make a three-hour round trip via Elgin to see their GP.

There is a dial-a-bus service run by the local authority that has to be booked a day in advance.

At a meeting of the economic development and infrastructure committee this week, independent councillor for Heldon and Laich John Cowe asked what Moray Council was doing about the problem.

What is being done for Burghead and Hopeman patients?

He said: “There is a dial-a-bus service, but there is no Stagecoach service along the coast.

“At the moment if someone wants to get to the practice in Lossiemouth it can be a three-hour return journey, which is totally unacceptable.

“The dial-a-bus service has to be booked the day before, so if an old age pensioner takes ill at 10 o’clock in the morning and needs to see a doctor how does he or she get there?

“What is being done to alleviate this shocking situation?”

Patients would face a three-hour round trip to Moray Coast Medical Practice in Lossiemouth. Photo: Jasperimage

Head of environment and commercial services Nicola Moss said she and transport officers were happy to discuss the issue with Mr Cowe and any other ward councillors, but there was no “magic bullet” for solving the problem.

She said: “We have moved bus resources around to make sure there is additional vehicle availability for the demand responsive service, to enable greater capacity to get people to the surgery in Lossiemouth.

What is being done to alleviate this shocking situation?”

“The constraints of our existing system in terms of having to book the day before are well versed.

“We have to be mindful we have limited resources and we have to use resources for the best benefit for all residents of Moray.

“I’m happy to have a discussion, but I don’t want to say there’s a magic bullet out there.”

What happens now?

Two public meetings will be held, one in Burghead and another in Hopeman, as part of the consultation.

Results from a community engagement exercise showed strong support for the branch surgeries.

However, Moray Coast Medical Practice did not want staff returning to work because the buildings are not up to health care standards.

It is proposed the Laich Dental Suite in the Lossiemouth health centre is split into five clinic rooms at a cost of £170,000 to provide more space.

It would take £116,000 to upgrade the Burghead premises and £142,000 to fix issues at Hopeman – not including VAT – to bring them up to a suitable condition.

Previously, they operated on a part-time basis seeing a combined total of 114 patients a week.

12-week consultation among public

NHS Grampian rents the Burghead surgery on Grant Street at a cost of just over £5,840 a year. The lease is due to expire in 2023.

The Hopeman branch on Harbour Street is GP owned. No action has been taken to find other suitable buildings in the villages.

The first public meeting will be held in Hopeman Memorial Hall on October 27, with the second at the Community Hall in Burghead on November 14.

Both will run from 6.30-8pm.

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