Graeme Downie MP has challenged the SNP government to address long-running problems affecting GP services across west Fife, warning that local communities are being ignored while ministers announce new walk-in centres.
The Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar highlighted the decade-long wait for a replacement health centre in Kincardine and continuing uncertainty surrounding Valleyfield Medical Practice.
Downie said:
“New Kincardine Health Centre over a decade late, High Valleyfield GP centre in chaos yet again, numerous other GP problems across Dunfermline but no action being taken.
“Are local SNP MSPs OK with their constituents being ignored?”
His intervention followed First Minister John Swinney’s announcement that the Scottish Government would expand its network of GP-led walk-in services to 40 locations. A pilot walk-in centre opened at Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital in Buckhaven on 24 August. Proposals are also being developed for another service in Glenrothes.
The Buckhaven centre currently operates from 10am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, providing same-day treatment without a prior appointment for urgent but non-emergency conditions.
Downie has not opposed additional access to urgent primary care. His concern is that new announcements must not be used as a substitute for repairing existing services and delivering facilities already promised to local communities.
Kincardine’s decade-long wait
Kincardine has waited more than a decade for a modern health centre, despite longstanding agreement that the current building is unsuitable for the community’s needs. The existing surgery operates from a converted cottage dating from the early 20th century. A report produced in 2016 concluded that it was not fit for purpose, citing inadequate space, insufficient storage and poor accessibility for disabled patients.
Plans were subsequently developed for a new centre capable of bringing more health services together and serving the area’s growing population. However, in 2023 the SNP government delayed capital funding for the project until the second half of the decade, leaving residents without a clear timetable for construction, as reported locally.
Downie has repeatedly campaigned for the decision to be reversed and for ministers to meet local people to explain what will happen next.
Uncertainty at Valleyfield
There is also uncertainty at Valleyfield Medical Practice in High Valleyfield, which serves approximately 3,900 patients. Ayrshire Medical Group has given notice that it will end its contract to operate the practice on 31 December.
NHS Fife and the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership are seeking a replacement contractor. They have said that the practice will remain open throughout the transition and that NHS Fife will operate it directly if a new provider is not appointed in time. Officials have also said that remaining staff should continue working at the practice to provide patients with continuity of care.
Downie’s concerns reflect the frustration of residents who have experienced repeated uncertainty and want a stable, properly staffed local GP service.
Walk-in centres and frontline GP care
The Scottish Government says its walk-in programme will give patients greater choice, reduce the early-morning rush for appointments and relieve pressure on hospitals. Swinney announced 24 additional locations and extended the pilot until April 2029, supported by £36 million of public funding.
The First Minister said more than 10,500 cases had been handled during the programme’s first six months and argued that participation would increase as the services became fully established, as reported in Fife.
However, medical organisations have questioned whether separate walk-in facilities represent the most effective use of scarce staff and resources when established GP practices are already struggling.
Downie’s challenge is that the SNP must demonstrate that its latest initiative will strengthen primary care rather than divert attention from unresolved local problems.
Healthcare is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and the SNP has controlled the Scottish Government since 2007. After nearly two decades in office, communities such as Kincardine and High Valleyfield should not still be waiting for basic assurances about suitable buildings and dependable access to a family doctor.
Scottish Labour has supported Downie’s campaign for the Kincardine centre and called for greater investment in frontline primary care. Walk-in services may provide useful additional capacity, but they cannot replace permanent GP practices rooted in their communities.
Downie is demanding a clear timetable for the Kincardine development, a secure future for Valleyfield Medical Practice and meaningful action to address the other pressures facing patients across Dunfermline and west Fife.
