Physicians are cautioning that numerous clinics across Scotland lack the financial means to employ additional general practitioners, even though the authorities have pledged to facilitate better access to primary care doctors.
Trainees GPs have informed Pawonation.com Scotland News that they are finding it difficult to secure both permanent and temporary positions.
The Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association report that certain clinics are halting hiring efforts and reducing their reliance on interim personnel due to significant financial difficulties they are encountering.
The Scottish administration asserts that they are implementing measures to allocate extra resources to primary care services.
We have talked to numerous Scottish general practitioners who mention facing financial difficulties.
In Scotland, three-quarters of surgical procedures are managed by General Practitioner (GP) partners. These practitioners cover the expenses related to personnel and operational costs for their practices and subsequently receive payment from the National Health Service (NHS) for the care they deliver to patients.
'The patient will end up disadvantaged'
Dr. Annie Lomas serves as a partner at Linden Medical Practice located in West Lothian and holds the position of medical director at the Local Medical Committee for Lothian.
She describes the financial condition as "the most dire it has ever been," and she cautions that certain operations might be forced to shut down due to an inability to achieve fiscal equilibrium.
She mentions that her practice, which includes eight doctors, is "struggling to stay afloat" due to higher operational costs.
She states that it now has to bear extra annual expenses ranging from £35,000 to £50,000 because of various elements such as increased National Insurance contributions, the effect of NHS salary agreements, and escalating fees imposed by the healthcare board.
The practice has had to decrease its capacity by limiting the use of locum doctors and cannot afford to hire extra GPs.
"If I cannot afford to hire employees, then in the end, the one who will suffer most is the patient," she says.
According to Dr. Lomas, there are now more medical professionals undergoing training to become general practitioners compared to what was seen five years ago; however, clinics lack the financial resources to hire these new doctors.
Dr. Samantha McCarthy is completing her last year of general practice training at Penicuik Medical Centre.
This is the biggest teaching and training facility in Scotland, yet it has decided to temporarily halt the recruitment of new physicians.
Dr. McCarthy, aged 38, first specialized in obstetrics and gynecology prior to opting for a career in general practice.
She mentions that both herself and her co-trainees are encountering an "unemployment barrier," where they face intense rivalry for every available position that opens up.
Three years ago, when I began, the job market looked quite distinct. Clinics were desperately seeking salaried general practitioners and locum doctors due to numerous open positions.
She mentions that things have become so difficult recently that she is contemplating either quitting the medical field entirely or relocating with her husband and young children to Australia, where better prospects abound.
“I am genuinely apprehensive. It’s truly disheartening that we have reached this stage, and I’m deeply worried about the patients unable to secure appointments,” she remarked.
Tricia Dickson has been receiving care from Penicuik Medical Centre for over three decades.
She isn’t blaming the employees, yet mentions that she often finds herself around 80th or 90th in line when she dials at 08:30 to schedule an appointment.
"They lack sufficient medical staff, which isn’t fair since we aren’t receiving the care we’re entitled to," she stated.
When they construct new homes in Penicuik, where do those residents go for medical care?
Earlier this year, Chief Minister John Swinney did so. highlighted his first three main focuses For the NHS — which involved increasing funding for primary care services to facilitate easier access to general practitioners.
In 2017, the government established an objective to bring aboard 800 additional general practitioners by 2027.
Nevertheless, the latest employment statistics indicated a slight decrease in the count of full-time general practitioners, dropping from 3,478 in 2023 to 3,453 in 2024.
Physicians indicate that the responsibilities for general practitioners have increased due to meeting the requirements of an expanding elderly population with intricate healthcare needs, along with addressing the concerns of patients who are facing extended wait times for treatments.
The Royal College of General Practitioners, a professional organization, states that the decrease in doctors during this period of heavier workloads implies they can’t guarantee providing safe and prompt care to their patients.
Dr Chris Provan, who chairs the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland, stated: "Across the country, numerous GP practices face severe financial challenges due to past insufficient funding, inflationary pressures, and upcoming increases in National Insurance Contributions."
The organization is advocating for GPs to be part of the NHS exemption from national insurance contributions, along with the implementation of a comprehensive workforce strategy.
Dr. Iain Morrison serves as the chairman of the BMA's Scottish General Practitioners Committee.
He stated: "We have reached an ironic predicament where Scotland funds the training of new General Practitioners (GPs). However, due to fewer job opportunities and limited prospects for employment, a growing number of trained GPs are seeking different career paths or moving abroad to practice medicine elsewhere."
Increased investment
The percentage of Scotland's healthcare budget designated for general practice has decreased from 11% in 2004 to 6.5% in the previous year.
According to the BMA union, allocating 15% of resources towards general practice would enable clinics to hire additional General Practitioners and guarantee at least one family physician per every thousand patients.
A representative from the Scottish government stated that General Practitioners were crucial to the healthcare system.
"The investment in general practice has been boosted by £73.2 million for this fiscal year, and we are committed to increasing the number of GPs in Scotland by 800, reaching this target by 2027. Since 2017, we've seen an addition of 307 GPs," stated the spokesperson.
Our updated strategy for the NHS aims to direct a larger share of additional funds towards primary and community care services. General practitioners will receive the necessary resources to take on more significant responsibilities within our healthcare framework.
This enhanced funding will make GP services more accessible, ensuring that health problems are identified promptly and addressed at an early stage.
- Swinney commits to taking action to reduce NHS wait times
- GP practitioners warn that an increase in National Insurance might lead to the closure of medical offices in the Highlands.
- NHS Reform in Scotland 'Critically Needed,' Watchdog Says
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