Scotland's GP practices are to receive additional funding of nearly £250m a year over the next three years which ministers say will be used to boost staffing and capacity, support day-to-day operations and make it easier for patients to get appointments.

The additional funding, which the Scottish government says is not a pay deal, has been welcomed by the doctors’ trade union, BMA Scotland, whose GP committee has voted to end its four month formal dispute with ministers over funding restoration.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said the additional money for primary care is the biggest investment in core GP services to date in Scotland and will help deliver the ambition of shifting the focus of care from acute to community settings:

“This is not a pay deal — it’s about stabilising practices and getting more staff into general practice.

“GPs and practice staff received a £46m uplift for pay and expenses earlier this year, and practices are receiving an additional £15 million in 2025-26 to support immediate recruitment needs.”

Mr Gray added:

"I thank the BMA for their constructive discussions and look forward to working with the sector to ensure patients have the best possible care available, as close to home as possible.”

The chair and deputy chairs of the BMA Scotland GP Committee say they are delighted with the extra money, around £150m a year of which will be spent on workforce. Funds will also be earmarked for digital systems – including digital, paperless prescribing – and work to focus on reaching people who are not engaging fully with services.

Dr Iain Morrison, Chair of BMA Scotland’s GP Committee described the investment as “a significant step in the right direction”, adding:

“For some time, we have been clear that the only way to put General Practice in Scotland on a sustainable footing for the future and to improve access for patients was direct investment into practices to recruit and retain GPs.

“Today’s announcement, secured after a robust but constructive set of negotiations is welcome recognition of that fact and reflects the level of funding needed to stabilise and rebuild General Practice across Scotland in both urban and rural areas.

“This investment should finally enable the profession to feel optimistic about the future and provides the opportunity to make working in General Practice in Scotland the rewarding, safe and sustainable career it should be once again.”

The Royal College of General Practice (RCGP) in Scotland has also welcomed the additional investment and the BMA decision to end its dispute with government.

RCGP Scotland chair Dr Chris Provan said the move could potentially allow general practice in Scotland to return to stability and sustainability:

“General practice in Scotland is under unprecedented pressure after years of neglect and chronic underfunding.

"While RCGP Scotland does not take part in contractual negotiations between the BMA and the Scottish Government, we can see clearly the negative impact of underfunding on the care our patients receive and we welcome that there has been very significant progress in talks.

"We understand that the offer of improvements to funding is not the end of this journey and we are pleased there is ongoing negotiation between the parties. Ultimately this has the potential to return general practice in Scotland to a more sustainable footing. By enabling the recruitment of more GPs and easing the current unmanageable workload, we can improve patient care.

"We are confident that this new direction of travel from the Scottish Government will in time deliver the world class care that patients deserve."

 

Read more: Doctors say GP funding boost “just the start”; Scotland’s GP workforce rises; GPs enter dispute with Scottish ministers; Primary care progress falls behind need, say doctors; Doctors invited to shape medical workforce reforms;

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