It appears that patients in Dyce will be only the first in Scotland to suffer the adverse effects of poor planning by the Scottish Government on the recruitment and training of GPs. The closure of one local practise, with only six months, statutory notice, has meant that 10,000 patients will only be cared for by the timely intervention of another practise.

Without this, goodness knows what the position would be for our community. However those attending a large, recent public meeting in Dyce were being advised that this is only the beginning of the problem in Scotland. The fact that a large number of GPs are due for retirement, something which should have been foreseen and that new recruits seems less willing to come into general practise were the reasons presented.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that the SNP Government were so fixated by their quest for independence that issues which needed longer term planning like health and education have taken second place over the past seven years. Since it now appears that independence is still the SNPs primary objective we can expect further problems with the quality of vital services.

Phil D’Arcy,

14 Glen Avenue,

Dyce, Aberdeen.