The Scottish government is to fund a series of Early Career Fellowships for GPs as part of a continuing programme to attract more doctors into the specialism in Scotland, and to retain them in primary care.

The £600,000 investment is one of a series of measures included in a progress review just published of the General Practitioner Recruitment and Retention Action Plan 2024-26, and part of £310 million to be spent on expanding GP capacity over the next three years from April.

In all, the government has promised that half a billion pounds will be spent over that period on staffing and supporting the day-to-day operation of Scotland’s GP practices.

Ministers say having enough doctors working in primary care is fundamental to delivering the ambition set out in both the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework and Population Health Framework for more care to the available to people in their own communities.

Commenting on the update, Health Secretary Neil Gray told healthandcare.scot:

“The number of GPs is going up but we are determined to do more to enhance GP recruitment and retention, and our historic investment of over half a billion pounds added investment in core General Practice services will help boost staffing and improve access. Our new pilot network of walk‑in GP services will also help ease pressure and improve capacity across the country.

“We are driving progress and, as part of our action plan update, I am pleased to highlight our £600k investment in GP Early Career Fellowships, which supports early career GPs to enter the workforce on completion of their GP training. We have also introduced a new Retain and Sustain scheme as a single, more flexible support for GPs at risk of leaving the profession.

“Our plan sets out the progress we have made and the work we are undertaking into the future, including our Future Medical Workforce project and a new online hub dedicated to supporting GPs at every stage of their career.”

The early career fellowships will be allocated initially to NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Tayside, based on immediate need.

The review looks at progress so far in delivering the 20 actions set out under the original plan, which include improved data gathering, clearer career pathways and meeting the needs of people at each stage of their career – including training for GPs taking on leadership roles.

There is also a commitment to evaluate the impact of the ScotGEM medical programme in recruiting doctors to more remote and rural areas of Scotland.

Demand

The struggle to meet demand in primary care, particularly since the pandemic, has had a significant personal impact on doctors.

The programme to expand capacity in general practice is part of a wider Future Medical Workforce project which acknowledges that Scotland has too few doctors.

Late last year a report on the first phase of the project, informed by survey responses from over 2,000 doctors, outlined substantial personal challenges for medics in matching the needs of patients while having enough time for their own continued professional development.

The report described doctors experiencing “the moral injury of being left to face the blame, distress and backlash when there are inadequate services, delays or cancellations, while managers are hidden from view”.

Separately, one recent survey of doctors working across all settings suggesting as many as two thirds had experienced burnout.

From the outset, ministers have acknowledged that, given how long it takes an individual from beginning medical school to reaching a consultant level role, the full impact of all the decisions taken now will not be seen before 2045.

Read more: Two thirds of doctors experiencing burnout; Meaningful change promised on medical workforce; Staff express concern over latest NHS reform plans; Half billion pound GP investment ‘largest ever’

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