"Excellent care and follow up after a colonoscopy at Dr Grays"

My partner had been picked up by the national bowel screening service in September as having need for a colonoscopy.

This was done by the very efficient Dr Hew and his team.

Dr Hew was very warm and approachable and gently explained that my partner has bowel cancer with a tumour that requires urgent removal.

Dr Hew acted quickly and referred my partner for a CT scan and and MRI scan which have been done

My partner has since been transferred to the care of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and chemotherapy due soon to shrink the tumour prior to further surgery to remove it.

Thank goodness that the National Screening services are working at full capacity compared to the local GP services in Moray that I feel require a major overhaul regarding their triage procedures and getting an appointment with a GP.

Perhaps an investigation would be in order to get something done.

My partner had been complaining of feeling unwell for the best part of 2 years and still not seen the GP and when he wanted to speak to the GP to inform them of the recent diagnosis was told that GP very busy and it would be 2 weeks before getting a phone appointment which is dire.

I on the other hand have also been recently diagnosed with a tumour which thankfully was picked up by a National screening service.

I too have had difficulty accessing a GP despite complaining of a cough and breathlessness for the best part of a year until my recent GP appointment which was scheduled nearly a month after learning of my own cancer diagnosis but was given short shrift by the GP who incidentally is at a different GP practice than that of my partner.

I really find it all quite terrible what is happening here in primary care and I think it should be looked at as it appears the politicians responsible must have a different NHS system to those of us in Moray, where the minister is telling us to go to A&E or the local pharmacy as the GPs are so overworked.

Perhaps they should drop into Boots in Elgin or the hospitals in Grampian Health Board sometime to see how overworked they are and then drop into the local doctors surgery( if they can gain entry that is)