Boosting GP numbers ‘a significant challenge’ for Scottish Government

The Scottish Government faces “a significant challenge'' to increase the number of GPs working in the country, according to the public spending watchdog.

A report published by Audit Scotland on Thursday said an ageing clinical workforce and problems with recruitment and retention will make it difficult for the Government to meet its target to boost the number of GPs by at least 800 over the next decade.

A rise in Scotland's elderly population is also described as putting extra pressure on primary care services, with the number of people over the age of 75 living in the country estimated to rise by 27% between 2016 and 2026.

The Audit Scotland report noted although Government commitments to train additional GPs, nurses and midwives are on track, it is not clear how many will go on to join the primary care workforce on the ground.

The watchdog also highlights there being a lack of national data on current workforce numbers, costs, activity and demand.

A “data gap'' makes it hard for the Government to plan the workforce effectively, the watchdog said, making it difficult to assess whether the new GP contract is achieving its aims.

It also concluded much more needs to be done to explain the changes in primary care to the public and how they affect the rest of the health system.

Caroline Gardner, the Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Scotland's primary care workforce is under pressure and operating in an uncertain climate.

“That makes detailed planning for the future even more important.

“To date, the Scottish Government has introduced major policy changes without a reliable basis for its plans.

“It now needs to get a much clearer picture of the workforce and set out detailed plans addressing how its initiatives will improve patient care and deal with future demand on services."

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