The Public Audit Committee looks at reports published by the Auditor General for Scotland to examine whether public money is being spent efficiently and effectively.
On 27 March 2025 the Auditor General for Scotland published General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract.
The report says "General practice plays a critical role in Scotland’s ambition to improve the population’s health and keep people at home and out of hospitals. However, the pressure on general practice is increasing because of a growing and ageing population, enduring and widening health inequalities, and longer waits for hospital care. Compared to 2017, there are also fewer whole‑time equivalent GPs, and the Scottish Government’s commitment to increase the number of GPs by 800 is unlikely to be met by 2027".
The report was discussed at the following Committee meetings in relation to its work programme:
Minutes of meeting on 25 June 2025 (Work Programme):
In relation to the General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract report, the Committee agreed to write to the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners and to the Scottish Government.
The Committee has sent and received the following correspondence during scrutiny of the report:
Correspondence from the Convener to Caroline Lamb, Director-General Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland, Scottish Government, 4 July 2025
Correspondence from the Convener to Dr Chris Provan, Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, 4 July 2025
Correspondence from the Convener to Dr Iain Morrison, Chair, Scottish General Practice Committee, BMA Scotland, 4 July 2025
Correspondence to the Convener from Dr Iain Morrison, Chair Scottish General practice committee, British Medical Association, 8 May 2025