Fewer doctors are serving more people in Scotland, according to a report released today claiming the country is facing a 'looming crisis' in family GPs.
Despite a population surge of 135,000 since 2008, there are only 35 more full time equivalent GPs. The number of practices being taken over by health boards has increased, as has the number of GP partner vacancies. In Fife, there are around 1500 people for every doctor. Organisations such as BMA Scotland have warned of a workforce time bomb in our NHS, with hundreds of GPs approaching retirement.
The SNP Government in Edinburgh has come under pressure in recent weeks for its workforce planning in the NHS with the children’s ward at St John’s Hospital in Livingston and the out of hours GP service at Perth Royal Infirmary both closing for the summer.
Scottish Labour Public Health Spokesperson Dr Richard Simpson said: "A family doctors crisis is looming in Scotland, but patients across the country are feeling the effects now.
"We are seeing fewer doctors serve more people, an increasing number of practices where the NHS has to step in to sort it out, and an increasing number of vacancies across the country. Patients are being let down now but it is set to get even worse unless the SNP Government in Edinburgh get their act together. Between GP partners retiring in next decade combined and emigration rates of newly qualified doctors continuing we are going to see primary health care come under crushing pressure, particularly as our population ages.
"It is the SNP Government’s responsibility to manage workforce planning in our NHS. They have known about the age profile of GPs for a long time so should have been putting measures in place to make sure more GPs were training. We have already seen our NHS feel the effects of the SNP squeezing health spending harder than the Tories. We need to see action now so that every family in Scotland has fit and proper access to a doctor."
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