The GSD have claimed users of the GHA are reporting “significant difficulties” in accessing services such as seeing doctors, particularly in respect of primary care. 

A statement from the GSD follows below: 

Users of the GHA are reporting significant difficulties in accessing core and basic services such as seeing doctors, particularly in respect of primary care.

This is not what the Government promised when it confirmed that the initial telephone consultation review would stay in place. Additionally there appears to be lack of clarity and confusion about the precise restoration of key services and how these will be restored in coming months. It is important the Government should publish a road map in respect of the Health Services from 1 September onwards. The Unlock the Rock document road map is now dated. Equally users want to know that there is an easy way to resolve any difficulties they are experiencing and that the Government are acting to resolve these.

The GSD recognise that the Government had to re-organise our health resources to prepare for the public health threat to Gibraltar. Whilst no one could possibly have imagined the global impact,  it is clear that as a community we needed to scale up in order to prepare for a wave of infections with the pressures that would bring on the service. It is right that we collectively remark on the huge undertaking and significant preparatory work done by the many. Thankfully the Nightingale facility has so far remained empty and our Hospital has not seen the impact that the virus has had on our neighbours and many countries across the globe. We also recognise that the current worldwide COVID situation remains dynamic so the health service will need to take a flexible approach to continue to manage these risks while providing a service to users

Over the last month we have seen a significant escalation in concerns expressed to the GSD in respect the delivery of care from criticism in respect to the efficacy of telephone examinations, the repeat prescription process and the accompanying of patients to appointments at St Bernards. In Parliament last month the Minister for Health stated that "this new system [telephone consultation] will  continue into the foreseeable future,  even post-Covid". Naturally patients are very concerned that telephone consultations should not completely replace physical examinations and the Government assured us in Parliament that patients could opt to see doctors if they so wished.  It is right that the GHA continue to protect the safety of patients and healthcare workers but it is equally as important to ensure that we restore our capacity and capability in the health service as much as possible. Unfortunately experience of patients reported to the Opposition has been very mixed and it would appear that complaints about the lack of access to physical examinations, the repeat prescription process and the poor communication as well as inconsistent approaches are on the rise. 

Shadow Minister for Health, Elliott Phillips said:"It is clear that the restoration of health services has presented many difficulties for patients, service users and those delivering care at all levels.  The Governments "Unlock the Rock" document established  the date for the restarting of full clinical activity, interventions and screening was set for 3 July 2020. We are now 5 weeks after that date. We understand the reasons why we have not transitioned to full Unlock but of course this leaves uncertainty as to how services will be provided in coming months and leaves unresolved the concerns and issues people are encountering. We therefore call on the Government to set out a clear and consistent detailed plan for how services will be provided beyond 1 September We probed the Minister in the House at length on this issue and it is clear that experience of service users is painfully at odds with the Government's answers to our questions. We must move to restoring not only our health service but public confidence that we will return to full clinical activity very soon."

Enc. Extract Hansard Gibraltar Parliament 2 July 2020