COMMENT

Scotland’s family doctors have warned the First Minister that GP surgeries will continue to close and patients’ lives will be put at risk unless more money is invested in practices and health centres.

In a hard-hitting consultation paper, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland described patients queuing outside practices just to register with a doctor, and warned that plans for nurse practitioners to care for patients without doctor support puts people at risk.

The RCGP is urging the Scottish Government to honour what it says is a pledge to invest £500 million additional funds directly into general practice services by 2021.

The RCGP report predicted a shortfall of 828 GPS across Scotland by 2021, and highlighted 2,800 nursing vacancies and what it claims is the failure of health boards to recruit sufficient numbers of

“If the underfunding and confusion continues we will keep witnessing a considerable number of general practices closing”

RCGP REPORT