Save your local GP

1. Write to your MSPs • Write to tell your MSPs what you have told the Scottish Government, and why it is important to protect your local GPs’ surgery. • To find out who your MSPs are, either: • Go to www.scottish.parliament.uk and click on ‘MSPs’ • Or call 0131 348 5000 • Once you know who your MSPs are you can write to them at: • The Scottish Parliament • Edinburgh • EH99 1SP • Take part in the Patient Survey • Take part in the Dispensing Doctors Association 2010 Patient Survey in Scotland. This will help us tell the Government why it is important to protect rural GP practices. • Pick up a copy at your local GP reception, or find it online at ........................ . The survey is completely anonymous. • Thank you very much for your support for this crucial campaign to protect our local health services. Save your local GP • 3 things you can do to save your local GP surgery: • Reply to the Scottish Government Consultation • Write to your MSPs • Take part in the Patient Survey • Your local GP Practice could be under threat. The Scottish Government is consulting on changes to the process for allowing new pharmacies to dispense NHS prescriptions. • See over for more details.

2. The Scottish Government Consultation The Scottish Government is consulting on changes to the process for allowing new pharmacies to dispense NHS prescriptions. In many rural communities, prescriptions are dispensed at doctors’ surgeries. The surgeries get paid for doing this. Because it costs a lot more to provide healthcare services in rural areas than in cities, due to the greater distances involved, the surgeries need this extra income to cover their running costs. If they were not able to dispense prescriptions because a new pharmacy had been given permission to do that, many of these rural GPs’ surgeries might have to close. If you want to protect your local GP surgery, then please write a response to the consultation. You do not need to respond to all the consultation questions. The most important thing is to write to the Government at the address shown here. Tell them why your surgery is important to you, and that as a patient, you want a say in any changes that might threaten it. • In your response you might want to make the following points: • Whatever change happens it is vital the dispensing GP practices are protected. • Change is needed to the way health boards have to consult about new pharmacies. GPs, communities and the wider public should all have to be consulted on applications. • A third party right of appeal must be retained; everyone who would be affected by a change in pharmacy provision, including dispensing GPs, patient groups and members of the public, should have a right to appeal a decision on the matter. Responding to the Consultation Please send your response by 11 June 2010 to ControlofEntry@scotland.gsi.gov.ukor Review of Control of Entry ArrangementsScottish Government Health Directorate Primary Care Division 1 East Rear St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG