A former chief minister is calling for his town’s GP surgery to ease its strict Covid-19 restrictions.

Allan Bell said Ramsey Group Practice had been only providing 40% of its appointments face-to-face, while surgeries elsewhere are achieving 80% or more.

The Manx Independent reported last week how staff at the Ramsey Group Practice had received increasing levels of abuse from patients frustrated at not being able to get an appointment with the doctor.

But Mr Bell, who was chief minister from 2011 until he retired from politics in 2016, said this was only half the story.

He said: ’I’m very concerned about the breakdown in the relationship between Ramsey Group Practice and the people of the town.

’Only six months after the coronavirus outbreak, most surgeries are more or less operating at pre-Covid levels. Why is Ramsey Group Practice holding out?’

Ramsey resident Mr Bell said this has led to real frustration among patients, especially those with developing medical conditions, who now have to rely on phone contact to discuss their concerns.

’Because of the extra pressure on the limited phone lines in the surgery, many are having to wait for hours to get through and sometimes days before a doctor returns the call,’ he said, adding that this did not justify abuse being directed at staff.

Although retired, Mr Bell said he had met with the practice’s management to try to resolve the issues.

He said: ’If the whole Island was following RGP’s policy it would be understandable and more acceptable.

’I have tried to get a proper explanation from them as to why there is this differential but without success. As a result the island currently is operating a two-tier GP service.’

But the surgery insists it is following the health department’s standard operating procedures for this current Covid phase.

This involves triaging patients over the phone, telephone appointments, and providing face-to-face treatment only where clinically necessary and safe to do so.

The practice said this for the safety of patients and staff and it cannot simply go back to how things were before Covid.

The issue will be the subject of a House of Keys question tomorrow (Tuesday) from Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper when figures are expected to be released on percentages of face-to-face appointments.