A LOCAL health campaigner has raised concerns over the future of the out-of-hours GP service in Inverclyde.

Councillor Ciano Rebecchi says he is worried after bosses launched a review of the clinics which currently operate from Greenock Health Centre and Inverclyde Royal.

Health board chiefs admit the service is facing challenges and say they are sometimes forced to move GPs to other centres within Greater Glasgow and Clyde to cope.

The Telegraph understands that Inverclyde has on occasion been left without GP cover as staff are moved around.

Councillor Rebecchi, who has tirelessly fought to keep health services within Inverclyde, wants to know what form the review will take and the potential impact it could have on patients.

He said: “I want to know how they will look at the service, how will they judge it? Will it be by population, by how busy it is, how could they run it between one place and another?

“Every time they review a service, it always seems to be Inverclyde that loses out.”

The out-of-hours service runs from Greenock Health Centre, then transfers to Inverclyde Royal at midnight.

It’s understood that staff have raised concerns about the future of the service with their union.

A source, who doesn’t want to be named, told the Tele that Inverclyde has sometimes been left without a GP while doctors fill shortages in other areas.

She told the Telegraph: “We have heard from doctors that the service at Greenock Health Centre will close Monday to Friday and the service would be taken over by the RAH in Paisley. I know people have been sent to Paisley.

“GPs have been sent emails asked about facts and figures to see how they compare with other areas and if there is a shortage of GPs they are being sent to cover, leaving Inverclyde without a doctor.”

She added: “It’s a big ask, if patients don’t have transport or are very unwell, to expect them to travel to Paisley.

“It’s a huge problem, we’ve already lost ear nose and throat and paediatrics, services at the hospital have been reduced.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde says the out-of-hours service is ‘facing significant challenges in staffing’.

She added: “On the occasions when there are not enough GPs to cover all eight centres, we move available GPs from site-to-site to ensure we provide a robust service and minimise any impact on patient care.

“In response to this ongoing pressure, which is not unique to Glasgow and Clyde, a review of the service is under way.

“This review, being led by health and social care partnerships, is considering how we can continue to provide an efficient, responsive GP service out-of-hours that is sustainable in the long term.

“We expect the pressures to continue through the holiday period and we are looking at how we can ensure we deliver the service through the next few months while the review takes place.

“The recommendations from this review will be reported back to the six integrated joint boards and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in due course.”

A spokesman for Inverclyde Council said: “The service is wholly reliant on having enough GPs available to cover out-of-hours, and this is proving difficult across the whole of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

“A number of proposals will be put to joint boards, including Inverclyde’s, next month for consideration and a preferred option identified.”