GP health centres across West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh (above).
By Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that the SNP government must overhaul their botched NHS Recovery Plan after a new workforce survey found that the number of GPs continues to drop.
The 2024 General Practice Workforce Survey found that:
- The number of GP whole-time equivalent (WTE) continued to decrease, from 3,478 in 2023 to 3,453.1 in 2024. This follows a fall from 3,493.9 in 2022.
- The number of GP sessions lost to sickness absence was around 15% higher than in 2022/23.
- GP practices in Scotland reported using 348.2 WTE locums, a slight rise on the previous year.
The Scottish Government has a target of recruiting an additional 800 GPs by 2027, which the Royal College of General Practitioners has previously said it is not on track to meet.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “People are ringing their surgeries hundreds of times a day to see a GP, often getting nowhere.
“After three years, it couldn’t be clearer that the SNP’s NHS Recovery Plan is bust. That plan is failing patients, staff and services every single day.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats would overhaul it to include a strategy that prevents staff burnout and puts the voices of clinicians at the heart of government decision-making. We would also draw on the wider skills that exist in mental health, physiotherapy, pharmacy and more, lessening the load on GPs and getting you fast access to the best care locally.”
Commenting on the GP workforce survey, Scottish Labour’s Health Spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “GPs play a vital role in early interventions, public health and taking pressure off hospitals, so this fall in staffing should alarm everybody.
“The SNP set targets to increase the number of GPs but they are clearly failing and meanwhile demand increases. No wonder patients struggle to get appointments.
“The SNP must work with practices to improve morale and working conditions so that GPs don’t burn out or turn away from the profession in the first place.
“Investing in recruitment and retention now will not only keep GP numbers up but save the taxpayer expensive locum fees.
“The UK Labour government delivered a record Budget settlement to Scotland but it’s up to the SNP to ensure it reaches frontline services and primary healthcare.