Scotland News
Getty ImagesScotland’s doctors have claimed a £290m funding gap for GP surgeries threatens the future of the NHS.
The British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland said GPs’ share of the health service budget has fallen every year against inflation since 2008 and they cannot afford to hire more staff to cope with increasing demand.
The trade union says £290m is needed to fix this and has warned if it is not addressed in the coming months then the “current direction of travel” is leading towards a formal dispute with Scottish ministers.
The Scottish government said it has increased investment in general practice and is determined to increase the number of GPs in Scotland.
Research by BMA Scotland suggests the funding which GP practices receive for every patient has been eroded year after year against inflation since 2008.
Combined with increased costs, the union claims this has created a £290m shortfall that is impacting frontline GP services.
Dr Iain Morrison, chair of the BMA Scotland’s GP committee, said: “Practices simply do not have the resources required to employ all the staff they need – and in particular GPs – at a time when demand is going up at a rapid rate.
“We know that access to GPs is undeniably a real issue and patients can struggle to get an appointment at their surgery in a timely manner.
“We share the frustration that many patients are currently feeling and we want to be able to deliver a service that we are proud of, rather than constantly apologising for.”
Dr Morrison claimed that unless the £290m funding gap is addressed then general practice is “at risk of failing”, adding: “We provide 90% of patient contact and without general practice, the NHS simply cannot survive.”
BMA ScotlandLast month the Royal College of GPs and the BMA said some practices are freezing recruitment and scaling back on the use of temporary staff cover in the face of severe financial challenges.
Trainee GPs have also told Scotland News that they are struggling to find either permanent or temporary jobs.
Earlier this year John Swinney pledged his government will bring down NHS waiting lists and make it easier to get GP appointments.
The first minister said the health service would carry out an extra 150,000 appointments and procedures in the coming year.
‘Direction of travel’ towards dispute
The BMA has not yet formally consulted its members on taking the dispute further, such as going on strike.
But it said member surveys and motions carried at internal BMA conferences have backed considering further action.
The union said it had put the Scottish government “on notice that the current direction of travel is leading us towards formal dispute”.
A Scottish government spokesperson said it will give “careful consideration” to the BMA’s case.
They added: “GPs play a vital role in our health service, and we value the care that they provide to patients at a challenging time for the healthcare system.
“We have increased investment in general practice by £73.2m in the last financial year and are determined to increase the number of GPs in Scotland by 800 by 2027, with an additional 307 GPs added since 2017.
“Our renewed plan for the NHS will ensure that a greater proportion of new funding goes to primary and community care which will assist in supporting both GPs and also helping people to access GP services.”
