FRUSTRATION with access to GP services and medical staff burnout both emerged in a public consultation looking at the future of general medical services in Dumfries and Galloway.
Patients documented their frustration with access models like the ‘8am phone line’, and expressed a desire for more human, continuous care — especially in rural communities.
Meanwhile, many professionals locally reported burnout and called for better role clarity, team-based working, and flexible career options.
In addition, the need for improved premises and IT infrastructure was highlighted, and while digital tools were seen as a valuable part of modern practice it was stressed they must not replace, the personal connection between patient and clinician. The feedback came out of engagement between health bosses with the public and healthcare staff as part of an ongoing review that aims to secure high-quality, sustainable GP services for the region.
The results have been endorsed by Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board (IJB) this week, as the review prepares to move into its next phase.
That will focus on developing options for change, using the principles of equity, integration, and sustainability as the foundation for decision-making.
Further engagement will support the development of realistic and locally relevant options, with careful consideration being given to the practical challenges and opportunities identified so far.
Meanwhile, officials are exploring how practices could work together more in the future – sharing skills, experience, expertise and resources to better meet the needs of their patients.
International models — such as those seen in the Netherlands and care pathways in France — are being studied too for insights into how Dumfries and Galloway might adapt successful approaches.
IJB chair Kim Dams said it’s all part of a ‘major effort to shape the future of services.
She said: “This isn’t just a refresh — it’s a fundamental rethink of how we deliver care. The pressures on general practice are immense, but this review puts us on a path toward a model that is modern, resilient, and person-centred.
“Importantly, the new approaches which emerge from this work will align with and support the delivery of the national 2018 contract for provision of general medical services.”
And she said at the heart of the review is a focus on making the best use of the current workforce to provide assessment, treatment, and care planning, while also developing a future workforce plan that’s designed to meet expected needs and support new ways of working.
Nicole Hamlet, of the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, added: “We’ve heard loud and clear that people want general practice to be accessible, joined-up, and built on relationships. This review is about responding to that call — not with quick fixes, but with a vision shaped by those who use and deliver these services every day.”
A draft model is expected to be shared later this year, with a full vision due in 2026.
