The number of face-to-face appointments seen by Ramsey GPs has risen - but this is still well below that of other surgeries.

Figures released in the House of Keys this month showed that only 38% of appointments at Ramsey Group Practice were face-to-face in September.

This compared with 90% at Finch Hill surgery, 86% at Hailwood and 85% at the Kensington practice.

But figures for the week beginning November 23, seen by the Examiner, show that Ramsey GPs are seeing more patients in person, with the figure rising to 50.2%.

But that’s still well down on the second lowest of 63.8% at Castletown surgery.

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

Former chief minister Allan Bell stepped into the row to question why, unlike other surgeries in the island, the town’s practice was not operating more or less to pre-Covid levels - resulting in a two-tier GP service.

Speaking in his own personal capacity rather than on behalf of the other partners and staff at surgery, Ramsey GP Christopher Waldrum said the figures from September were out of date.

He said: ’Our activity per 1,000 patients is in the median average for practices on the island and we see 50.2% of patients face to face.

’A total of 1,529 contacts per week in a practice of 6.25 full time equivalent GPs is not a figure that should cause such sustained opprobrium.

’Delve deeper into the figures available to the DHSC and you would find we were a practice of eight full-time equivalent partners not that long ago, accounting no doubt for some of the fall in activity.’

Dr Waldrum added: ’We are currently attempting to recruit new partners and no-one suitable has applied.’

Second lowest for face-to-face appointments in September was the Southern Group Practice but this is now seeing 76% of patients in person.