Time is running out for the Scottish government to take action and save general practice, the country’s General Practice Committee (GPC) chair has warned.
This comes after more than one-in-four practices in Scotland told their British Medical Association (BMA) that are struggling to fill vacancies.
Dr Alan McDevitt, BMA GPC chair for Scotland, said: “We know that practices need tangible support now if they are to weather the storm that general practice is facing. If practices don’t receive that much-needed relief, then soon some will run out of time.”
Speaking at the annual conference of Scottish GPs in Clydebank today, he called on the government to deliver some kind of immediate relief to practices.
The current, and unprecedented workload, demand and pressures are “not sustainable” for the country’s surgeries, McDevitt said.
“Without commitment to substantial new primary care funding and staff, the general practice we all need and value, may not survive. It’s time for politicians to make that commitment,” he urged.
