Roseanna lends support to threatened surgery

Apr 22 2011 by Greg Christison, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

Roseanna lends support to threatened surgery

SUPPORTERS are rallying behind an under-threat Big County doctors’ surgery.

Backing the campaign, election candidate Roseanna Cunningham said “no advantage” would be gained from opening a new retail pharmacy in Methven amidst claims such a venture would threaten the existence of the local branch surgery.

The PA reported in March how a 792-signature petition had been submitted to NHS Tayside in opposition to the proposed business opening on the village’s Main Street.

The controversial bid was subsequently withdrawn to the delight of concerned local residents and surgery staff, but was unexpectedly re-submitted last week, with a view to opening on June 1.

NHS policy dictates the Methven surgery, which opened in 1990, would be forced to cease the operation of their own dispensary facility if a privately owned pharmacy opens in the village.

Speaking yesterday, Ms Cunningham, who is the SNP’s Scottish Parliament candidate for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, voiced her concerns.

She said: “The dispensing surgery is an important service within this community and I am concerned at the threat to this service being posed by an application to open a retail pharmacy in the village.

“I have given the practice my support on this issue in the past and I was pleased when the application was withdrawn.

“Unfortunately, the threat has raised its head again with news that the application has been re-submitted to the Health Board.

“The staff at the practice have explained to me that if they lose their dispensing rights then there is no way that the GP service could continue in its present form and that would be very bad for the village.

“What we have here is a set-up that works and I can see absolutely no advantage in destabilising the situation in this way.”

Revealing the surgery relies heavily on its dispensary to help fund running costs, “disappointed” practice partner Dr Duncan Foster warned approval of the proposals would have a detrimental effect on the community.

“This application puts at risk the range of healthcare services currently provided for the local community here,” he said.

“It threatens the branch surgery’s existence. At the moment patients are coming in and are being offered a one-stop service on site.

“If approved, our patients would lose the local convenience within the immediate vicinity.

“The viability of an independent pharmacy would be called into question when its very presence would result in a reduction in local GP services.

“This proposal represents a private retail pharmacy threatening the provision of local NHS services. We do not feel this is in the community’s best interests.”

“We have received exceedingly positive and overwhelming support from the community. Roseanna has been very supportive and that is much appreciated.

An NHS spokesperson yesterday said a date for a decision on the proposal has not yet been set, and refused to comment further.