THERE IS A SUSTAINABILITY CRISIS IN GENERAL PRACTICE IN SCOTLAND WITH REAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENTS - WHY?

Recruitment While the number of NHS hospital consultants working in Scotland has increased by 30% in the past 12 years, the number of GPs has fallen by 6%. 42% of practices in Scotland report at least one GP vacancy. The number of GP partners reduced by 14% between 2012 and 2022. 

Demand Over the last 12 years the the number of patients registered with a GP has increased by nearly 9%. In 2013 there was one GP for every 1,515 patient but now there is only one GP for every 1,735 patients. Despite General Practice in Scotland providing over 650,000 appointments every week, it is simply not enough to meet demand.

Finances In 2008, the NHS spent around 11% of its whole budget on General Practice. Today, that figure is less than 6.5%. Practices have also faced significant additional financial turbulence in recent years, and the recent increase to Employer National Insurance Contributions as a result of the 2024 budget at Westminster will add further bills of tens of thousands of pounds to every practice. Without funding from Government to meet this cost, the only choice that many practices will have is to cut services further. This means fewer doctors and nurses to care for you and a smaller reception team to answer your calls and help guide you.

Investment  The majority of Scotland's 898 General Practices are run as independent businesses. They are mainly funded with a fixed income, no matter how much work is asked of them to look after the local community. With that fixed pot they must pay for all their staff, upkeep their buildings and meet all their running costs. General Practice is recognised as being the most efficient part of the NHS in the UK, but a lack of sufficient investment has resulted in where we are today. Ultimately this is a result of funding decisions taken by Scotland’s politicians and will only truly be addressed with sufficient investment directly into General Practice.

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