NHS 24 'lacking in GP experience'

NHS 24 currently has three main call centres and five satellite centres

Improvements to NHS 24 following the deaths of two north east patients have not gone far enough, according to one Aberdeen GP.

Dr Stewart Scott said more doctors should be on hand to support nurses and helpline centres should be devolved to local health boards.

He said life-threatening cases could still be overlooked unless there was more GP input and local knowledge.

Opposition politicians also called for more localised services.

On Thursday Sheriff James Tierney reported on a fatal accident inquiry into the deaths of 17-year-old Shomi Miah from Aberdeen and Steven Wiseman, 30, from Aberdeenshire.

He said the system had failed both patients by not identifying their life-threatening conditions.

They still have nurses sitting isolated in call centres rather than based locally with GPs to support them Dr Stewart Scott Aberdeen GP

The families of Ms Miah and Mr Wiseman blamed delays in getting treatment for their deaths in 2004.

The clinical director of NHS 24, Dr George Crooks, insisted that lessons had been learned.

Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "My belief is NHS 24 is fit for purpose.

"It is a different organisation than it was 20 months ago.

"It is much more responsive, people can access the service rapidly, and we deal with patients as individuals based on their clinical presentation."

There are also five satellite NHS 24 call centres, which opened in November 2005, in addition to the three main centres.

GP experience

However, Dr Scott said the service needed to be devolved further.

"They still have nurses sitting isolated in call centres rather than based locally with GPs to support them," he said.

"Nurses do the 'run of the mill' stuff very well and there's a great deal of evidence for that.

"But in the occasional case when things don't just sound right - that's when you need the experience of a GP.

"You could have 100 people calling in with flu and the 101st could have a slightly unusual symptom that with a GP would trigger alarm bells."

Nationalist MSP Shona Robison said a more local service would improve the quality of service for patients.

She said: "The service should be totally devolved to each health board as part of an integrated out-of-hours service involving both NHS 24 and out-of-hours GPs."

Conservatives MSP Nanette Milne also called for the service to become more localised.