- Supporting 45,000 patients to access same-day treatment
Thousands of patients in Glasgow will have easier access to
urgent same day care as Scotland's latest GP walk-in service
opened its doors.
First Minister visited the centre in
Cardonald as it opened to patients today. The service will enable
residents in Cardonald and the surrounding area to receive
treatment without an appointment, Monday to Sunday, from 12:00 to
20:00.
Depending on clinical need, patients may be seen by a GP or
Advanced Nurse Practitioner. The service will also be made
available to those without fixed addresses or who are homeless to
ensure no one misses out on access to care.
It is the ninth centre to open as part of the Scottish
Government's pilot GP walk-in programme, which has been designed
to provide more choice for patients while helping to relieve
pressure on wider NHS services.
The First Minister said:
I promised that my government would end the frustrating 8am rush'
for GP appointments - and we are delivering on that commitment.
Patients across the country are already benefitting from this
pilot, which enables access to urgent, same-day care at new
GP-led walk-in services with Glasgow the latest service to open
its doors.
Walk-in services will help us bridge between General Practice and
Urgent care offering patients with urgent health concerns another
way to be seen and treated, on the day and closer to
home. Existing GP services will continue to provide
their patients with all general medical services.
We are on track to open another at least another two additional
walk-in centres and set out the next phase of expansion, within
the first 100 days of this government. This year we will expand
access to a further 14 locations, taking the total to 30 walk-in
clinics across the country. That is a Scottish Government
delivering for the people of Scotland.
Jann Gardner, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGCC) Chief
Executive, said:
The opening of the GP Walk-In Clinic in Cardonald marks an
important step in improving access to care for local residents.
NHSGGC is at the forefront of this new approach and we are
committed to learning from the Walk-In Clinic as we continue to
modernise healthcare. This forms part of a wider programme of
work to improve how patients access services, including
initiatives such as FNC+ and e-triage.
We will continue to develop services that are responsive to the
needs of our communities.
Background
As a formally evaluated pilot, the Cardonald GP walk-in service
will generate insight into patient demand, service utilisation,
clinical outcomes, and system impact. This includes understanding
how and why patients choose to attend, the extent to which the
service supports unmet need and its role in alleviating pressure
across wider urgent care pathways.
Learning from this pilot will inform future decision-making at
Board and national level, supporting the development of
sustainable and scalable models of care. The programme represents
an important step in testing how enhanced access to primary care
can contribute to a more resilient, responsive urgent care
system, aligned to national priorities and long-term service
reform.
