£30m announced to help GPS hold face-to-face appointments during winter

NICOLA Sturgeon has announced a £30 million fund to help GPS offer more appointments as part of a “significant downpayment” of extra money for the Scottish NHS.

The First Minister used her SNP conference speech to set out funding aimed at helping GPS hold more surgeries and face-to-face appointments.

Support totalling £30m will be spread over two payments and can be used to schedule more appointments or pay practice nurses and external locum GPS for additional hours.

Addressing her virtual party conference, the SNP leader said: “GPS will be able to use this funding – which will be delivered in December and April, in two equal instalments – in ways they judge will deliver the greatest impact for patients.

“That might be through extra GP sessions or additional practice nurse time.

“In short, it will allow practices to target investment where it is most needed, to improve access to primary care, and help ensure patients get the care they need as close to home as possible.”

Ms Sturgeon also paid tribute to the “exhausted” health and social care workers for their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and said she was proud to have offered many staff the highest pay rise of any UK nation.

She added: “We have promised to increase investment in the NHS – already at record levels – by a further 20 per cent over this term of Parliament.

“We can confirm today that our budget on December 9 will deliver a significant downpayment on that commitment.

“In the years ahead, this extra funding will help build new capacity in the NHS and improve the way care is delivered through, for example, a network of elective treatment centres.

“And at the heart of our plans for reform is the establishment of a National Care Service.

“Just as the National Health Service became in the aftermath of the Second World War, this new National Care Service, if we get it right – as we must – will be a fitting legacy from the trauma of Covid.”

Following the announcement, Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, welcomed any additional funding for GPS but said the £30m “will not touch the sides”.