GPs To Petition Over Social Work Shake-Up

GPs are due to deliver a petition to health chiefs objecting to a planned shake-up of services.

Dr Euan Paterson and Dr Anne Mullin will hand it in to the headquarters of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde opposing the planned removal of health visitors from practices.

The doctors will be accompanied by representatives from the Scottish Patients Association on Monday.

The plans to remove health visitors from practices and locate them in social work services on a geographical basis is 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 has claimed the move will break up teams which had served patients well.

It has 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.