Historic new GP contract agreed

A new GP contract has been formally accepted by the profession.

The agreement, jointly designed and agreed between the Scottish Government and the British Medical Association (BMA), will bring the biggest reform of GP services to Scotland in over a decade.

Health Secretary Shona Robison welcomed the agreement, which will come into effect on 1 April, backed by £100 million of Scottish Government funding in 2018-19 to support the implementation.

Ms Robison said:

“GPs are an integral and crucial part of our health service. This new contract, which is a historic joint agreement between the Scottish Government and the BMA, will ensure that GPs are able to spend more time with patients and less time on bureaucracy. It will cut doctors’ overall workload and make general practice an even more attractive career prospect.

“We’ve worked shoulder to shoulder with the British Medical Association to develop this contract, and the fact it has the support of the members means I am confident it is the very best deal for GPs right across the country as well as for patients themselves.

“We are continuing to work closely in partnership with the BMA on shaping the future of general practice and primary care more widely and together we are confident that this new contract best supports Scotland’s healthcare needs right across the country, and I am delighted that GPs across the country have voted to implement this.

“And of course, our ambition to increase the number of GPs in Scotland by at least 800 over ten years will create a sustainable service for the future and ensure people across Scotland continue to receive a high standard of care from GPs, and are given the time they need.”