Doctors in Scotland are looking after 1,690 patients EACH amid warnings the NHS is hitting its ‘breaking point’
- The number of patients registered with a GP has risen to 5.9m over two years
- Figures show that 2.4million physical appointments took place in March 2023
Doctors in Scotland are each looking after almost 100 more patients than two years ago as the NHS hits ‘breaking point’.
The number of patients registered with a GP has risen by 2 per cent over that period to 5.9million.
There are now 1,687 patients per whole-time equivalent GP in Scotland, compared with 1,592 two years ago.
It comes amid growing concern at the number who are still not receiving face-to-face appointments at surgeries.
Latest figures show that 2.4million physical GP appointments took place in the month of March 2023 – roughly 185,000 fewer than in March 2019.
Doctors in Scotland are each looking after almost 100 more patients than two years ago as the NHS hits ‘breaking point’ (Stock Image)
While patient numbers rise, the SNP Government has cut £5million from the sum promised to GP practices as part of a sustainability fund and slashed £65million from the Primary Care Development Fund.
Scottish Labour health spokesman Jackie Baillie said: ‘The facts are clear for all to see – primary care in Scotland is at breaking point.
‘Scotland’s GPs are facing a perfect storm of increased demand and reduced funding – with primary care taking on more and more responsibilities due to the wider NHS crisis.
‘[Health Secretary] Michael Matheson must recognise the scale of the crisis facing primary care in Scotland and act to bolster GPs across Scotland.’
Fears are also growing over the future of GP surgeries across the country.
These include a practice in Invergowrie, Perthshire, which has been earmarked for closure despite widespread local opposition and a petition with hundreds of signatures.
Scottish Labour health spokesman Jackie Baillie said: ‘The facts are clear for all to see – primary care in Scotland is at breaking point.
Last month, Dr Andrew Buist, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish GP committee, said that one in ten practices in Scotland have formally closed their lists to new patients, describing the situation as ‘simply unsustainable’.
Dr Buist added: ‘Nowhere is safe or sustainable for general practice currently.
‘We are seeing that now in the numbers of GP practices which have closed their lists to patients over the past few years because they would be unable to safely provide the level of care required if they continued to take on new patients.
‘If the health boards are not in a position to take over the running of those practices, they will close completely, and all of their patients will be dispersed to other practices – further increasing pressures elsewhere and leading to a domino effect of practice closures.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We have delivered a record number of GPs, 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, the GP headcount has increased by 291 to a record 5,209 in 2022. To support GPs, we have recruited over 3,220 healthcare professionals. We are committed to investing £170million a year to help grow these teams and to further increase the number of GPs.’
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