General Practitioner recruitment and retention action plan 2024 - 2026: update March 2026

Actions and progress summary

Plan

Action / Timeframe / Update

1. Explore with key partners, and specifically with British Medical Association (BMA) Scottish General Practice Committee (SGPC) through the Bilateral dialogue, the optimal shape of the future GP workforce and the General Practitioner Specialty Training (GPST) pipeline to grow our next generation of GPs, building on the current added 800 GPs commitment and progress, and taking account of evidence about population health, the projected burden of disease and the crucial role of General Practice in supporting care closer to home.

Commenced and ongoing

Action in progress:

• Evidence workshop held in December 2024.
• Currently working with Public Health Scotland and Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) on the development of an iterative model of future GP workforce capacity requirements, which can be adapted in line with relevant strategic work considering the GP Pipeline capacity, the workforce model and role of the GP as set out in the Primary Care Route Map and the Future Medical Workforce Project.

Action / Timeframe / Update

2. Explore and implement improvements to the Performers List to ensure effective registration of GPs across Health Boards and accurate flow through into national databases.

By Summer 2026

Action in progress:

• Performers List Short Life Working Group established in May 2025 to identify improvements needed to data collection and reporting processes.
• Finalise the standard Performers List application form and guidance for implementation by Health Boards by Summer 2026.

Action / Timeframe / Update

3. Improve data quality on capacity and whole time equivalent of the workforce (including in rural areas and across health inequalities) and on the GP labour market including vacancies and locum opportunities

By Autumn 2025

Action complete:

• Improvements made to the General Practice Workforce Survey Report (2025). This includes further data on workforce capacity in rural and deprived areas, and data quality improvements to locum and vacancy data to ensure consistent approach to data collection and reporting.
• More frequent reporting of GP Headcount and whole time equivalent data (from annual to biannual) to better measure progress on GP capacity through NHS Scotland Workforce Data.

Action / Timeframe / Update

4. Explore with PSDS and partners all opportunities to fully understand, and plan for, the career intentions of domestic, rUK and international students within and exiting GPST and the resulting flow through into employment in Scotland’s General Practice settings

By Spring 2026 and ongoing

Action in progress:

• Survey on GP Specialty Trainees’ career intentions tested as part of evaluation and relevant findings included in the evaluation of the Golden Hello Scheme (a recruitment incentive for GPs), with plans to explore reissuing a career intentions survey and publishing an annual report in future years.
• The 2025 Medical Specialty Training and Transition to the GP Workforce publication provided clearer and more detailed breakdowns of movement within GP Specialty Training and of GPs exiting training, improving understanding of the resulting flow into employment in Scotland’s General Practice settings. The next scheduled release of this publication will be June 2026. The above data would enable further work with PSDS to explore additional support to assist those nearing completion of training to transition into the GP workforce and ensure better geographic distribution of training places so they are aligned with future workforce and population health needs.

Attract

Action / Timeframe / Update

5. Establish with partners a new, clear, holistic, well-advertised online career pathway resource for GPs, linked to learning and development opportunities, with capacity for individual support for GPs requiring career advice

By Autumn 2025

Action complete:

• PSDS established My GP Career, a new online hub dedicated to supporting General Practitioners at every stage of their careers.

Action / Timeframe / Update

6. Continue to target GP recruitment marketing activity to attract rUK and international GPs to work in Scotland, including online seminars and events to promote working as a GP in Scotland

Ongoing

Action in progress:

• Range of seminars held during 2025 covering fellowship opportunities and working in rural and island practices for over 30 GPs identified at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) conference expressing an intention to work in Scotland.
• Ongoing activities to promote working in Scotland as a GP, including attendance at RCGP conference 2026 in Glasgow with follow up events for GPs who express an interest in working in Scotland, particularly in areas which are harder to recruit.
• Refresh the GP Jobs Scotland website to improve user experience and maximise exposure of GP job opportunities in Scotland by end of 2026.

Train

Action / Timeframe / Update

7. Improve our understanding of the challenges and opportunities for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in training and then working in Scotland with PSDS and Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). This will build on the current offer pre-start orientation, supernumerary induction placements, and enhanced inductions as well as visa support

Commenced and ongoing

Action in progress:

• IMG Resource Hub launched by Centre for Workforce Supply in November 2025 with new resources including visa guidance for IMGs and sponsorship support for practices.
• Review and consider the impacts of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 and the implications of UK government immigration proposals, including any policy or legislative changes, such as the proposals in the Restoring Control over the Immigration System: whitepaper on GP Specialty Training and GP recruitment.

Action / Timeframe / Update

8. Support longer-term sustainability of the Independent Contractor model by working with RCGP and partners to provide a new, specific training offer for GPs on the role of a GP Partner

Commenced Spring 2025 and ongoing

Action in progress:

• New First5 to Partnership training established by RCGP supporting early career GPs (in the first five years of their career post training); with 38 new places in 2025/26, increasing to 126 in 2026/27.
• PSDS to establish Preparing for Partnership training for all GPs providing detailed training for GPs who are new to Partnership during 2026.

Action / Timeframe / Update

9. Evaluate the impact of ScotGEM undergraduate medical programme on level of qualified GPs in areas of rural Scotland

Commenced and ongoing

Action in progress:

• Initial evaluation of two cohorts of final year completers has been undertaken showing the impact on the workforce. It is still too early to conduct a full evaluation on the effectiveness of the programme, as the data on destinations is limited.
• Continue to evaluate the ScotGEM programme as more cohorts progress to ensure it is delivering its aims.
• Continue to work with stakeholders, including PSDS and health boards, to understand the impact ScotGEM and other medical programmes are having to support onward careers in General Practice in areas of rural Scotland.

Action / Timeframe / Update

10. Consider how to improve GP trainee experience including further exploring the benefits and implications of changes to GPST training over time to increase the amount of time spent in placements within General Practice

By Autumn 2026

Action in progress:

• The Future Medical Workforce Project: phase 1 report was published in December 2025. It sets out the key insights and views of doctors as we seek to plan for 2045, providing evidence to inform ongoing work to improve the GP trainee experience.
• Phase 2 of this work, which commenced in January 2026, will take forward four workstreams including medical education and training reform, which will consider improvements to the GP trainee experience. The impact of varying the amount of time spent in General Practice on GP training capacity is to be explored by the Medical Education Capacity in General Practice Working Group in phase 2 of the work, with outputs to be considered including the impact on acute care.

Action / Timeframe / Update

11. Work with PSDS and partners to better understand challenges and opportunities in relation to training capacity across Scotland, including the use of innovative training approaches.

By Autumn 2026 for final report

Action complete:

• The Medical Education Capacity Report in General Practice - interim report was published in December 2025. This report sets out an updated assessment of pressures on training capacity across General Practice, highlighting constraints relating to workload, supervision and space.
• Intention is to work with stakeholders in the Medical Education Capacity in General Practice Working Group to use the interim report’s findings to model future training capacity needs, and options as well as co-design practical approaches to strengthen medical education capacity in General Practice, with the final report to be published in 2026. This would enable PSDS and territorial boards to collaboratively deliver (including through support for educators) the GP training capacity needed to support better geographic alignment of training pipeline with future workforce and population health needs.

Employ

Action / Timeframe / Update

12. Continue to support demand for the PSDS Returners Scheme supporting GPs returning to practice in Scotland from outside of the UK and work with PSDS to explore approaches to delivery

Ongoing

Action in progress:

• Internal review of PSDS Returners scheme completed in October 2025 with improvement recommendations agreed with PSDS and actioned including enhanced access to training resources and the introduction of regular peer support sessions.
• Continue to review the capacity requirement for the scheme annually to ensure adequate resource to meet demand.

Action / Timeframe / Update

13. Consider, and implement as needed, the forthcoming 2025 findings from the Scottish School of Primary Care evaluation of the Golden Hello Scheme to ensure current financial incentives support GP recruitment as effectively as possible

By Spring 2026 and ongoing

Action in progress:

• Scottish School of Primary Care evaluation report due to be published in Spring 2026.
• Review evaluation findings and develop actions to ensure financial incentives are targeted and effective in supporting recruitment and retention across the span of the GP career.

Action / Timeframe / Update

14. Consider, and implement as needed, the forthcoming 2025 findings from the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care evaluation of the Rediscover the Joy project which supports practice sustainability in remote and rural areas and mainly Board-run practices, through adding GP capacity

By Spring 2026 and ongoing

Action in progress:

• Evaluation of the Rediscover the Joy Programme is underway led by the Rural Centre for Remote and Rural Health and is to be published in Spring 2026.

Nurture

Action / Timeframe / Update

15. Continue to support and enhance as needed the core support schemes offered by PSDS such as GP coaching, CPD for early career ‘first 5s’ and the Retainer scheme

Ongoing

Action in progress:

• GP Coaching capacity expanded by 40 placements in 2025/26 to better meet demand (180 placements available).
• Over 500 funded CPD sessions delivered by PSDS in 2025/26 for early career GPs.
• The Scottish School of Primary Care will undertake an evaluation of the range of support schemes for early career GPs for completion at end of 2026. This will review existing provision in line with identified support needs and set recommendations for future developments.
• Further work to be scoped with PSDS to ensure effective transition from GP specialty training into the GP workforce.

Action / Timeframe / Update

16. Explore and implement ways to improve and expand the existing fellowship opportunities across Scotland for early career GPs on completion of GPST to support recruitment and retention in remote/rural areas, areas of deprivation and support all qualifying GPs to transition into the workforce

From Summer 2025

Action in progress:

• New Early Career Fellowship established backed by £600,000 allocated to 7 NHS Territorial Boards (Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and Tayside) in 2025/26 to deliver new GP Fellowships.
• PSDS to review Health Inequality GP Fellowship to align with broader GP fellowship programme.
• New IMG GP fellowship developed and tested by NHS Tayside in 2025/26 and 2026/27 to provide key learning opportunities and alternative routes to employment in General Practice.
• Scottish School of Primary Care will undertake an evaluation of the Early Career GP Fellowship programme from March 2027 to identify impact on GP retention in General Practice.

Action / Timeframe / Update

17. Work with PSDS to swiftly bring together a clear, refreshed ‘go to’ webpage and support package promoting the PSDS supports available to early career GPs including mentoring, coaching, peer support and clinical learning

By Summer 2025

Action complete:

• Scotland’s General Practice Workforce Centre was launched on 1 September 2025. This offers information on learning and development support available in the first 5 years as a qualified GP, as well as information on fellowship opportunities and support for IMGs.

Action / Timeframe / Update

18. Reshape the PSDS Staying in Practice Scheme to support mid-career GPs to return to / remain in the workforce, ensuring alignment with the GP Retainer Scheme, and commence new intakes from Summer 2025

By Summer 2025

Action complete:

• New GP Retain and Sustain scheme launched on Monday 25 August 2025. PSDS reviewed and combined the Staying in Practice and Retainer Schemes into a single programme of support for GPs at risk of leaving the profession. The scheme offers flexible working, mentoring, and CPD support. This replaces the previous GP Retainer scheme and Staying in Practice (SIPS) scheme.

Action / Timeframe / Update

19. Learning from implementation in 2024/25, expand the RCGP mid-career leadership scheme in 2025/26 to further support mid-career GP retention and skills development including related to workload management, resilience, career development and peer support to stay in roles

By Spring 2025

Action complete:

• New Mid-Career GP Leadership programme established by RCGP offering 117 places in 2025/26. It is being expanded in 2026/27 to offer a further enhanced leadership programme, with up to 100 additional places.

Action / Timeframe / Update

20. Explore innovative opportunities for later career GPs to remain in clinical service and in roles that provide training and mentoring by providing greater flexibility and opportunities to engage in these roles

By Autumn 2026

Action in progress:

• Data review complete and workshops to be held in early 2026 to explore options to better retain later career GPs, including opportunities for more flexible clinical work, training or mentoring.