Patients give Lothians GP services a clean bill of health

THE service provided by GPs in the Lothians has improved in the last decade, according to more than a third of patients.

A survey carried out across the country by the Medical Protection Society found that 36 per cent of those who responded were positive about changes that had taken place over the last ten years.

Less than a quarter felt it had worsened, while the remainder felt it had stayed the same.

The survey, carried out under the supervision of YouGov, also found that people were now more likely to complain of the service they received if they felt they were justified in doing so.

Dr Stephanie Brown, MPS director of communications and policy, said: "There has been a lot of heated debate about frontline NHS care in recent months, with issues such as out-of-hours provision, extended opening hours and so-called polyclinics all generating a certain amount of controversy.

"Our survey will hopefully provide a salutary reminder that, amid all the sound and fury, the underlying reality is that many very dedicated doctors and other professionals in Scotland are striving to provide the best possible service to their patients, day-to-day and hour-to-hour."