GP services in Scotland reach breaking point

Family doctors in Scotland are struggling to meet patient demands despite delivering around half a million appointments a week, equivalent to seeing almost one in 10 of the population.In a survey carried out by the BMA eight in 10 practices reported that demand was exceeding capacity, 42% saying that it was substantially above capacity.1 At the same time 34% of practices reported at least one GP vacancy, up 6% since last year.Andrew Buist, chair of the BMA’s Scottish General Practitioners Committee, warned that patient and staff safety was now being endangered, calling on the Scottish government to do more to recruit additional GPs and retain those already working. “Doctors are leaving the profession because they are exhausted, burnt out, and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.BMA Scotland estimates that Scotland has as many as 312 full time GP vacancies, forcing half a million patients…
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