At least 1,000 more GPs needed, BMA warns amid ‘medical staffing crisis’

Scotland needs at least 1,000 additional GPs, doctors’ leaders said as they told how family medics are “demoralised and overworked”.

The Scottish Government has pledged to recruit 800 GPs by 2027, but the British Medical Association Scotland said ministers are “desperately behind schedule” on meeting this target.

It added that even the number promised is not enough, citing “considerable gaps across the workforce”.

BMA Scotland chair Dr Iain Kennedy said: “We believe we need at least 1,000 WTE (whole-time equivalent) additional GPs now.”

He was speaking as BMA Scotland published new heat maps, which it said show all areas of Scotland face “a medical staffing crisis”.

For GPs, the BMA said vacancy rates range from 3.3 WTE per 100,000 of the population in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to 12 WTE per 100,000 in Orkney – though the NHS Shetland area was described as an “outlier” with a vacancy rate of 25 WTE per 100,000.

Meanwhile, WTE consultant vacancies in hospitals range from 3.4 per 100,000 in the Borders to 40 in NHS Western Isles – although the BMA said with vacancy rates of 30, 24.5 and 21.5 respectively, the Highlands, Grampian and Lanarkshire are also “struggling”.

Dr Kennedy said the heat maps show “while some places are faring far worse than others, these are all just different shades of bad”.

He added: “All areas are struggling with large workforce gaps. Some are struggling more than others, but crucially what the heat maps indicate is that no area is not facing a medical staffing crisis.”

The BMA said there is a “discrepancy” in vacancy rates between rural and urban areas, noting health boards with more rural populations generally also have higher vacancy rates.

Dr Kennedy said: The stark difference for both primary and secondary care between rural and urban areas is not new, but it is clear that we need a plan to urgently address these issues and the impact of rurality, while also acknowledging the serious problems being faced in the central belt boards.”

Speaking about the situation facing general practice, he added: “Despite the challenges they are facing, GP practices are providing more than 700,000 appointments a week for the people of Scotland – yet they are doing it with considerable gaps across the workforce.

“But they are demoralised and overworked, and there simply isn’t enough of them – they need urgent support.”

The heat maps have been published ahead of BMA Scotland announcing the result of a pay ballot of junior doctors, with the medical union saying it already has a “strong mandate for strike action” if the offer from the Scottish Government is rejected.

Dr Kennedy said the heat maps “ultimately show what years of failing to properly plan to recruit and retain the medical workforce we need results in”.

He added: “Junior doctors are the senior doctors of the future – long-term there is no prospect of the picture these heat maps represent improving if they do not feel properly valued.”

He called on the Scottish Government to “finally start seriously considering this particular aspect of medical workforce planning”.

He added: “We desperately need to have a national conversation on the future of our health service and what we ask of it.

“Only through having this open and honest discussion can we start to build a consensus around what we want our NHS to deliver, and effectively plan how we ensure it is staffed for a sustainable future.”

“We have already delivered a record number of GPs working in Scotland, with more per head than any other country in the UK, and we are making good progress on our commitment to recruit at least 800 new GPs by 2027.

“Since 2017, Scotland’s GP headcount has increased by 291 to a record high of 5,209 in 2022.

“A £20,000 bursary is offered as an incentive to GP speciality trainees in hard to fill vacancies, including certain rural areas, and trainee recruitment last year was the most successful year of any of the last five, with 99% of GP training posts filled. We also created 35 additional GP training places this year and are actively considering the need for further uplifts.

“NHS Scotland is a large organisation, employing 156,178.7 staff (WTE) in March 2023. Given the natural turnover of staff in an organisation of this size, it will always carry some vacancies.

“Last year we recruited a record number of trainee doctors, and the number of available medical school places at Scottish universities has increased by 67% since 2016. Over the last 12 months Consultant vacancies have reduced by 8.2%.”