THE CABINET secretary for health and care at the Scottish Parliament, Angela Constance, recently talked up the prospects of improving oral care for Argyll and Bute residents during a tour of Cowal Community Hospital.
Dental care is an ongoing issue for people in Cowal and beyond, with many locals struggling to find a practice available.
Some residents have been forced to travel long distances, often to Inverclyde or beyond, to be seen by a dentist.
But Ms Constance was clear that it is an issue her party and government is looking into.
She said: “I think it’s an important point.
“Oral care is essential for overall general health, whether that’s for children, adults or older people. There does need to be that connectivity, and it’s part of good community healthcare.
“It is an area that we are very attuned to in the Scottish Government, and the newly appointed minister, Alison Thewliss, will have a particular remit not just around social care, but around community healthcare as well.”
Elsewhere, though, the new GP walk-in service has proved to be a success in Dunoon.
During a walk around the Cowal Community Hospital campus last month, the MSP took the opportunity to speak with those involved in the trial initiative and see first-hand how the new clinic works.
She said: “I’m delighted that one of the early GP walk-in centres is now open, including here in Dunoon.
“I’ve had the opportunity to hear the plans for the future, and I’m very appreciative of all the hard work that has gone into making this possible.
“Most importantly, the feedback from people who have used the service has been very, very positive. Some people have written in to me as their MSP, and I’ve had the opportunity to speak to people who have been recipients of the service. They’ve spoken about its convenience, the ease of access and how their mind was able to be put at ease very quickly in response to their particular concerns.
“I’ve heard quite a bit today about how successful this walk-in clinic in particular has been. I think it’s one of the most successful of the ten that have opened so far.”
Due to Dunoon’s unique blend of socio-economic challenges, the hospital’s new walk-in clinic has proved to be the best performing of the few opened in Scotland so far.
Angela explained: “They’re all operating to different models, and that’s really, really important.
“We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach, and you can’t necessarily compare our communities with Dundee, or compare Dundee with Dunoon.
“There are particular challenges in more remote and rural areas, but there are also particular strengths. The particular strengths are the way in which health professionals and associated professionals are all prepared to work much more closely together, and services tend to be more connected. That enables more innovative, creative solutions to be found for local people.
“She continued: “The fact that it’s working well here in Dunoon suggests that it’s meeting a need that wasn’t previously being met.
“So it adds to and complements existing services.”
