Call for inquiry into delay in moving doctors to new Tain surgery

AN EASTER Ross councillor has called for an inquiry into the “extraordinary” delay in transferring GPs into their new £4million health centre which has operated for four months without any doctors.

Councillor Jamie Stone says the people of Tain are “astonished” that the local doctors have not yet been able to move into the new health centre, which opened in June. He was backed up by his fellow Tain and Easter Ross councillor Alasdair Rhind who described the situation as an “utter disgrace”.

Their comments came after NHS Highland confirmed this week that the necessary preparatory work — including telephone and computer systems — to allow the doctors to move in to the new surgery, has now been completed.

However, the health authority said the exact dates for the transfer of services from the two medical practices based at the old surgery at Scotsburn Road to the new building would be confirmed in the next few weeks.

The Ross-shire Journal revealed a month ago that technical, contractual and computer system issues had held up the GPs’ move, although dentists and community nurses already worked out of Tain Health Centre on Craighill Terrace.

Nigel Small, director of operations for the South and Mid Unit of NHS Highland, said: “I’m delighted to confirm that all the preparatory work to allow the GP practices to move in to the new health centre building, including the telephone and data systems, has recently been completed.

“We also expect to shortly complete all the legalities associated with the move and will be putting in place a flitting plan which will be communicated with patients.”

The plan will involve moving practice staff, some equipment, computers, as well as changing delivery addresses and pick-up arrangements for lab specimens.

A NHS Highland spokesman added: “It also requires careful planning of patient appointment and clinic times to ensure this is as seamless as possible from one building to another in order to minimise any disruption or confusion to patients. We will confirm exact dates within the next few weeks.”

The new edge-of-town health centre, which was built by Miller Construction, was opened in June amidst claims that it would provide a wide range of health and social care services, including GP, dental and integrated community team facilities.

Tain and Easter Ross councillor Jamie Stone told the Journal: “Everyone in Tain has been astonished by this extraordinary delay.

“If something like this was to happen in the private sector, for instance in the oil fabrication or maintenance sector, there would be penalty clauses — these clauses would be about money, and they would be harsh.

“When we are trying to show people that public money has been spent as well as possible, this kind of delay does nothing to boost confidence.

“Quite apart from getting into the building as soon as possible, I hope that there will be an inquiry as to what has gone wrong here, so we can learn from this mistake.”

Councillor Stone added that NHS Highland should make the results of the inquiry known to the public, who are the tax payers.

He said local people had raised the health centre issue with him and the rumour going round the town was the delay was caused by “forgetting to put the telephone line in”.

“If it does turn out to be that it is something as simple as the telephone line, that is ridiculous in this day and age,” he said.

Fellow local councillor Alasdair Rhind said it was an “utter disgrace” in this modern age that other health services are in using the new building, but the doctors aren’t.

He said the situation at the health centre “didn’t look good” for the board of NHS Highland.

“Why can’t a major organisation not get their act together and have a plan for the building, so that everything can move in together in a oner?” He asked.

“We have a situation where elderly people are going up to the new health centre, thinking that is where their appointment is, only to have to go back down to the old surgery, or vice versa.

He said it was “disappointing” as the fact the new building was still not in full use had caused great concern locally.

Councillor Rhind concluded by saying the money for the new building had come from tax payers, and the board of NHS Highland should never forget they are accountable to them.

Last month NHS Highland apologised for the delay, adding that the centre was the first health facility delivered through the hubCo arrangement and they were charting new territory in terms of some of the legal issues involved.

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