The surgery in question said it was 'very concerned' by what had happened and that staff try their best for patients.
A pensioner had to contact the emergency services when he was unable to get in contact with his doctors' surgery for over a week- including after he made 21 attempts in a single day.
He said that, from February 12, he had a bad cough and a sore throat, making it hard for him to eat and sleep. He claims he phoned Riverside Medical Practice 'several times a day' from February 12. John said: "I phoned the surgery constantly from 9am to 10am all the way until around midday on the Thursday morning. It was at 12.30pm that I realised I couldn't cope much longer. I called 999 because I just couldn't get through to Riverside.
"Then the week beginning February 18 I started having breathing difficulties and phoned them constantly on the Monday Tuesday and the Wednesday. John was released from hospital the following day on the Friday but described the experience as "terrifying and scary". He believes a GP appointment when he first started showing symptoms may have helped prevent his hospital stay.
"But it's just awful because the phone line just rings and rings and rings - the worst part is they don't answer at all, it just dials out." A spokesperson for Riverside Medical Practice said: "We're always very concerned when patients raise concerns about access – all clinicians want to be able to deliver the best for our patients and understand how worrying it can be if you have a medical problem and can't get through to your practice straight away.
"Ultimately this is about a mismatch between the level of patient demand and the capacity of health services to meet that demand. As the British Medical Association states: ‘It’s important to recognise that the amount of capacity that practices have available and the number of appointments they can safely offer is ultimately driven by Scottish Government’s investment and workforce planning decisions and the level to which it decides to prioritise General Practice.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Family of Scots OAP who died alone in hospital toilet demand nurse is struck offNurse Sharon Duncan was given a six-week suspension after she abandoned 70-year-old Elizabeth Shield in a bathroom, where she later died.
Read more »
Scots OAP conned nearly £2k in taxpayer cash over brother's funeralMary Johnston, 70, claimed a 'funeral support payment' she was not entitled to when her brother Charles Kelbie passed away.
Read more »
OAP has spent 30 years living in converted lorry and spends just £25 a weekAuthor Mike Leaver, 71, has spent three decades living in a converted truck with no electricity, mains water, or central heating.
Read more »
The housing crisis in Scotland is massive, growing and alarmingFar too many people are slipping through the cracks, with record levels of homeless Scots.
Read more »
Flytippers dump 80 tyres on OAP couple's drive and council won't help move themHugh and Diane Cunningham returned home to find a mountain of tyres on their driveway.
Read more »
100+ Scottish rugby fans are cycling to Rome – raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for motor neurone disease charity100s of Scots head to Rome for bike for charity
Read more »