Question reference: S6W-02794
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 9 September 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 October 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP vacancies there are; where they are located, and what plans it has to recruit GPs.
Answer
The numbers of vacancies for GP posts are not held centrally, as this is a matter for individual independent GP contractors as employers.
We have a record number of GPs working in Scotland with more per 100,000 population than the rest of UK . We are committed to increasing the number of GPs by a further 800, supported by our wider commitment to increase Primary Care funding by 25% over the course of this parliament.
The trainee recruitment this year has so far been the most successful year of any of the last five, with 97% of GP training posts having been filled so far, with one recruitment round remaining.
We have also announced a commitment in the latest NHS Recovery Plan for £11m over 2021-2026, for new national and international recruitment campaigns and establishing a national Centre for Workforce Supply. The Centre will support our commitments to increase GP numbers and ensure workforce sustainability.