Investment in General Practice queries: FOI release

Information requested

Recently the Health Secretary announced the Scottish Government were investing £1.3 billion in general practices this year including £15million to build capacity and support the day-to day running of GP practices.

1. Is the £15million part of the £1.3billion?
2. Can I have pound for pound where the £1.3billion will be spent?
3. Can I have pound for pound where the £15million will be spent?

Response

The £15 million announced recently is part of the £1.3 billion.

The Scottish Government does not spend money on general practice directly: funds are allocated to Health Boards which are responsible for spending the money as directed by the Scottish Government. I have provided the attached documents which set out how Health Boards have been allocated the funds and how those funds should be spent. I should note that we are currently in the process of allocating the £15 million and some other funds and do not have the equivalent documents for those funds yet but I have provided the purpose of those allocations. I would be happy to forward you the document for those allocations after it has been sent to Health Boards later this month.

The Scottish Government has already allocated over £1.3 billion to primary medical services this year:

• £1.035 billion Primary Medical Services allocation (PMS Allocation letter 2025-26);
• over £190 million Primary Care Improvement Fund which funds implementation of the 2018 GP contract (PCIF 25-26 Allocation Letter); and
• £81 million which was previously part of the Primary Medical Services allocation is now part of NHS board’s baseline funding for IT support, pensions and discretionary purposes (Primary Medical Services Allocation letter – Q1 2024 -25).

A further £71 million will be allocated to general practice later this financial year:

• A £39.6 million uplift following the DDRB’s recommendations;
• A £6.4 million increase to core GP funding to cover population growth in 2024-25;
• £10 million to fund preventative enhanced services; and
• £15 million to ease recruitment pressures and boost capacity (General Practice Workforce Payment letter – 23.9.25).

This brings our annual expenditure on general practice in 2025-26 to over £1.36 billion.

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FOI 202500483386 - Information released - Documents

File type

PDF

File size

608.2 kB

FOI 202500483386 - Information released - Practice and Board Workforce Payments

File type

Excel document

File size

59.6 kB