MSP calls on Health Secretary to resolve Lanarkshire's GP crisis as constituents forced to fork out for private healthcare

Graham Simpson is calling on the Health Secretary to find an urgent solution to the GP crisis in Lanarkshire. The Central Scotland MSP's call comes after it was revealed at a health board briefing on Friday that the situation was at a 'critical juncture'.During a debate in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Simpson shared the experiences of a number of constituents who have been forced to pay for private healthcare because they couldn’t access their GP.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android He referenced one constituent in particular who had to pay thousands to see a GP privately and pay for a minor procedure.It was also revealed at the briefing that Lanarkshire has the lowest number of GPs per thousand people in the whole of Scotland.The Tory MSP highlighted how this situation is putting additional pressure on NHS Lanarkshire’s hospitals – which has spent 315 days at Code Black since October 2021.In September, only 56.7 per cent of attendees at A&E’s in Lanarkshire were seen within four hours - the second worst month on record - and 2361 patients spent more than eight hours in the waiting room.He added that these problems pre-date the pandemic and that Health Secretary Humza Yousaf must "get a grip of the situation".MSP for Central Scotland, Graham Simpson said: "At a health board briefing on Friday it was