Coronavirus latest: Family doctors in Scotland call on ministers to release protective masks and gloves

Doctors have called on the Scottish Government to provide gloves, masks and aprons to practices after NHS England announced emergency deliveries of protective kit to help cope with coronavirus.

The calls came as the number of cases in Scotland rose to 16 yesterday and a sports centre in Glasgow was temporarily closed after a rugby player tested positive.

The UK Government announced yesterday GP practices in England will get 400 general-use aprons, 300 pairs of examination gloves and 300 fluid-repellent face masks free of charge.

Family doctors in Scotland claimed the Holyrood Government has personal protective equipment (PPE) in a warehouse but surgeries in Scotland have only been issued with 50 face masks.

Dr Lauren Colquhoun, a GP in NHS Forth Valley where there are two confirmed cases, said: “In Scotland, the PPE for primary care is still under lock and key. All we have been allocated so far is 50 surgical masks per practice and this will not last long. Primary care staff will need access to PPE to protect themselves. We have not been advised of when we will have access to this.”

Dr Andrew Buist, a Tayside GP, who is chair of the British Medical Association’s Scottish GP Committee (SGPC), said: “It’s vitally important that every GP practice is provided with the correct PPE, including the appropriate fitted masks. We have raised this with the Scottish Government and would urge that it ensures this is done as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

A remote surgery in Argyll closed its doors to patients on Friday over coronavirus fears, against government advice. Dr Robert Coull said appointments at Strachur Medical Practice would now be telephone only to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

The GP said most of his patients are elderly and believes more GPs may have to take the same decision to curb the risk of spreading infection unless PPE is provided.

Dr Colquhoun said: “This may ­happen to more practices in the not-so-distant future. I completely understand the reasoning behind this decision. They are a very rural practice with a very elderly population. This decision may help to slow down the spread of the virus and protect more of the most vulnerable patients.”

Dr Colquhoun also said that under-pressure surgeries may cancel routine appointments and be asked to take patients from nearby practices.

She said: “When GPs start to be off sick, we are expected to team up with surrounding practices to keep urgent care going. All routine appointments and services will most likely be cancelled so resources can all be redirected to continuing to provide urgent care.

“Healthcare professionals will do their upmost to safeguard those most vulnerable, however I do not feel the NHS will be able to cope with this pandemic.”

© Andrew Cawley

A spokeswoman for BMA Scotland confirmed plans to develop “buddy practices” were agreed with SGPC yesterday.

Dr Buist said: “As the ­number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Scotland increases, it is more important than ever that people returning from coronavirus-hit countries and displaying symptoms call 111 or phone their GPs in Scotland in the first instance. The clear advice to patients who suspect they may have coronavirus is not to attend their GP practice and instead seek support by phone.”

But Dr Colquhoun said more and more people are being referred to GPs by the NHS 111 service, putting additional strain on over-stretched practices.

She said: “A better approach would be to have a smaller number of ­healthcare professionals in dedicated teams for each region purely focused on assessing all people with respiratory symptoms.”

The Scottish Government said ­yesterday the number of cases of coronavirus increased from 11 to 16. There has been 1,680 tests in Scotland.

There are now four cases in Grampian, two each in Forth Valley, Glasgow, Fife, Lothian and Lanarkshire and one case in Tayside and one in Ayrshire and Arran.

One of the largest leisure ­complexes in Glasgow was temporarily closed after a rugby player who used the facility tested positive for coronavirus.

The unnamed Scottish player was due to compete in a women’s Six Nations match at Scotstoun Stadium against France yesterday, but the fixture was postponed. The stadium is part of the Scotstoun Sports Campus, which was shut yesterday. The player is described as “doing well” by Dr James Robson, chief medical officer of Scottish Rugby, and she has been checked into a healthcare facility. Seven members of staff and players have self-isolated after taking advice.

Glasgow Life, the agency that ­governs the city’s leisure spaces, including Scotstoun, said: “We have temporarily closed Scotstoun Sports Campus as a result and will take appropriate measures in the interests of everyone who uses the venue.”

Trade unions said councils should consider sending people home if they have flu-like symptoms and consider remote working for pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.

The number of cases in the UK reached 206 yesterday – up from 43 on Friday. Two people have died in the UK. The UK’s strategy on responding to the virus has four phases: containment, delay, mitigation and – running alongside these – research.

The country remains in the ­containment phase of tracing ­coronavirus cases to prevent it spreading in the community. The UK’s first death from ­coronavirus was a woman in her 70s who also had underlying health conditions. A British man also died last month in Japan after contracting the virus on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship. On Friday, a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions became the second person in the UK to die after testing positive for the virus at Milton Keynes Hospital.

His family described the “nightmare” of having to self-isolate, unable to grieve as they would wish to or to arrange a funeral.

The Scottish Government said: “All health boards in Scotland have received adequate supplies of face masks to distribute to GP practices as a precautionary measure. If any GP practice has not received their supply they should contact their local health board immediately.”