Govt must prioritise routine healthcare, GSD says

The GSD has called on the Gibraltar Government to prioritise the delivery of routine medical care, insisting many people are experiencing difficulties accessing GP appointments.

The party said it regularly received reports suggesting a shortage of booking slots on the automated phone line and “inadequate processes” to access primary care medical services.

It acknowledged the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare but said it was now time to “learn important lessons” and improve processes, especially for GP appointments.

The feedback from the public, the GSD said, suggested the system was struggling to cope.

“With very low levels of Covid-19, a successful vaccination programme and with the lifting of restrictions, the Government must now explain why we have not seen substantive restoration of health services to our community,” said Shadow Minister for Health Elliott Phillips.

“It is clear that bars, restaurants and all retail are back open therefore it must follow that children must now be permitted to attend dental appointments, in person appointments must now be made available and regular medical tests must be prioritised to avoid the knock on delays in diagnosis and treatment.”

“Every effort must be made to restore our much loved health service to levels which closely resemble a pre-pandemic health service.”

“Covid 19 has obviously placed massive pressures on our health service and we should, at the right juncture publicly and in a meaningful way, recognise the work of our health care workers amongst the many other public servants during the pandemic.”

“However, the most immediate issue, with one eye on Covid 19 developments in the rest of the world, is to ensure that the health service has the tools to deliver care at the bleeding edge of the interaction with public, namely in primary care.”

“We call on the Government to issue a detailed statement on how it intends to better utilise technology to improve the booking of appointments and the restoration of in person appointments with GPs.”