Huge workloads, abuse from patients and a lack of doctors – that is the reality of working at one of the busiest general practitioners in Scotland.

On average, receptionists at Elmbank Medical Practice in Aberdeen answer more than 1,000 calls a day from people who want to book appointments.

Dr Bhana, a GP at the practice, told Scotland Tonight: “On a daily basis at our practice we see an excess of 100 unscheduled care contacts.”

“Sometimes that number reaches 130, 150, and that workload is managed by two GPs. So that equates to 50 to 70 patient contacts per GP, which is two or three times above what the BMA recommends as a safe limit.”

Since 2012, the number of people trying to access GP services in Scotland has risen by 300,000. But at the same time, there’s been a 9% decrease in practices.

Dr Bhana said: ‘The biggest challenge we face as a profession at the moment is the issue around demand versus capacity.

“Alongside that, we have an ageing population. So not only are we having to look after more patients, but the patients that we are seeing are more complex, more frail and have more illnesses that we have to sort out and manage. That takes time and it takes more GPs.”

Heather Sharkey, says many patients do not react well when told they can’t have a face-to-face appointment at a time that works for them.

“We’ve had staff followed to the bus stop by patients. I’ve called the police twice since I’ve been here on patients that have been verbally and physically aggressive.”

Heather said these types of situations happen two to three times a week.

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