GEORGE Foulkes, MP, has invited me to reply to his letter (May 6) attacking the Ayrshire GP co-operative, ADOC. His repeated allegations become more and more stringent. Could I remind him that the first line of the Ayrshire and Arran Health Board report to which he refers reads: ''We are agreed that this is a good emergency general practitioner service in line with current UK practice''?
Mr Foulkes goes on to state that due to an administrative blunder, the GP co-operative was set up ''without even informing patients so that no-one knew the helpline number''. In fact, every household in Ayrshire was sent a leaflet giving all the facts, every GP surgery and public location had a poster giving all the facts, and every GP surgery gave the helpline number to callers out of hours. No more could have been done.
It is alleged by Mr Foulkes that those running the scheme were ''so complacent and arrogant that they refused to attend meetings to discuss concerns and answer criticisms''. Of course they attended meetings, some of which were also attended by Mr Foulkes.
Mr Foulkes then states that ''complacency and arrogance have meant that genuine criticisms have not been taken on board''. Again this is untrue. The GP co-operative has evolved over the two years of its operation in the light of experience and in answer to genuine criticism. We are always learning.
Our own consumer research, which is ongoing, shows a high level of satisfaction with the service which is significantly lower in Mr Foulkes's constituency than it is in other parts of Ayrshire, undoubtedly due to his constant public criticism.
The MP says that he supports the co-operative, but his constant attempts to undermine it by his public utterances make this hard to believe. He doesn't like the co-operative or those who manage it - so be it. Does he have to go on and on about it?
He has asked me to give an assurance that ADOC will accept the recommendations of the health board report. Of course we will. Many of those recommendations are already in place.
Perhaps Mr Foulkes can now rest from his labours and stop beating a willing horse.
Dr Kenneth Hambly,
Director,
Ayrshire Doctors on Call,
Mains of Lochridge, by Stewarton.
May 6.
'May 8.
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