MSP Jackie Baillie is slating the SNPs broken promise on GP numbers
By Lucy Ashton
The SNP is being held accountable for an apparent drop in the number of GPs available to support a growing number of registered patients in Scotland.
Data analysis reveals over 300,000 more Scots are registered at their local practice since 2013, while the number of GPs has plummeted by nearly 200, according to Scottish Labour.
This is in stark conflict with an SNP promise, that Scottish Labour says is not only broken but risks the future of primary care in Scotland.
As a result, the number of patients per (full-time and part time) GP has risen from 1,515 in 2013 to 1,687 in 2022. The data found that between 2019 and 2022 alone, the number of patients per GP rose by almost 100.
The SNP made a promise to increase GP numbers in 2017.
Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie MSP said: “The numbers speak for themselves – the SNP has broken its promise on GP numbers and forced primary care into a tailspin.
“Primary care in Scotland is now facing a perfect storm of rising demand and declining capacity. Primary care is absolutely vital in the functioning of our NHS – but instead of supporting GPs in their work, the SNP has slashed funding and failed to bolster numbers.
“GPs are being failed, patients are being failed and Scotland is being failed.”
Ms Baillie said: “The lack of support for GPs from Humza Yousaf and the SNP, means that patients are not getting the support they need and more pressure gets piled on to the front door of our hospitals. This has gone on for too long.
“It’s high time they reversed the cuts before lives are put in danger.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said Labour’s claims were “incorrect”. He added: “Our commitment is to increase the headcount number of GPs by 800 by 2027 – we are making good progress on our promise, with GP headcount increasing by 291 from 2017 to 2022.
“There are now a record number of GPs working in Scotland, and proportionately more than in any other part of the UK. We have also recruited more than 3,220 healthcare professionals into multi-disciplinary teams to support practices and redirect work away from GPs.
“It is important that patients see the right person at the right place at the right time to treat their condition, this may not always need to be a GP.”
However, in an interview later, Ms Baillie stuck to her guns: “Despite the SNP promising to increase GP numbers in 2017, the number has actually fallen.
“This SNP failure of Scotland’s GPs has been made worse by Humza Yousaf short-changing GP budgets by one-third after only £10m of the promised £15m for sustainability payments ever made it to surgeries.
“This was further compounded by the SNP’s eye-watering cut of £65m to primary care in November’s Emergency Budget Review.”
“There are areas including the Rosneath peninsula where there is a struggle to provide permanent GPs at either Kilcreggan or Garelochhead practices. Primary care in Scotland is now facing a perfect storm of rising demand and declining capacity.
“Primary care is absolutely vital in the functioning of our NHS. It is no surprise that this is happening while we are witnessing extraordinary waits at A&E. The two issues go hand in hand – but instead of supporting GPs in their work, the SNP has slashed funding and failed to bolster numbers.
“GPs are being failed, patients are being failed and Scotland is being failed. The lack of support for GPs from Humza Yousaf and the SNP, means that patients are not getting the support they need and more pressure gets piled on to the front door of our hospitals. This has gone on for too long. It’s high time they reversed the cuts before lives are put in danger.”
Meanwhile, responding to the pressures facing Scotland’s NHS and the First Minister’s comments about the condition of emergency care departments, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “Nicola Sturgeon is living in fantasy land if she really thinks that the state of emergency care is in some way acceptable.
“Healthcare staff across the country are facing challenge after challenge, pressure after pressure. The last thing they need is a toxic dose of SNP spin.
“When they’re not administering this misleading medicine, this government are opposing Scottish Liberal Democrat calls for a staff burnout prevention strategy and ignoring our suggestions for a staff assembly. Ministers clearly don’t know how to solve this crisis. We should listen to experienced healthcare workers for solutions instead.”
| Workforce survey year | Total patient list | WTE GPs | Patients per WTE GP |
| 2022 | 5,894,466 | 3,494 | 1,687 |
| 2019 | 5,769,985 | 3,613 | 1,597 |
| 2017 | 5,698,741 | 3,520 | 1,619 |
| 2015 | 5,627,467 | 3,604 | 1,561 |
| 2013 | 5,568,304 | 3,675 | 1,515 |
| Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/general-practice-gp-workforce-and-practice-list-sizes/general-practice-gp-workforce-and-practice-list-sizes-2012-2022/
https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/general-practice-workforce-survey/general-practice- |
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Vale of Leven and Clydebank medical centres.