A BMA Scotland survey has found GPs are struggling to cope with their workload and nearly half saying that the future of their practice is precarious or unsustainable.
GPs in Scotland are increasingly concerned about the survival of their practices, with many warning there is “no realistic chance” of meeting demand from patients.
A new BMA Scotland survey on GP wellbeing and funding has also found many GPs are struggling to cope with their workload, with some describing it as “unmanageable”.
Nearly all participants indicated that they could take on more GPs if they received adequate funding. An additional 160 whole-time equivalent GPs could potentially be available, which would provide approximately 700,000 additional appointments annually. This increase in capacity would be achievable if all sessional GPs seeking more work were able to secure their desired number of working hours.
“The findings of this survey show the crisis that GPs across the country are facing and must act as a wake-up call to government that we need a radical change of approach as to how it supports general practice,” said Iain Morrison, chair of the Scottish general practitioners committee.
Invest in primary care
Nearly half of GPs in Scotland who responded to the survey said the future of their practice is precarious or not sustainable, which is up ten percentage points since 2023. Four out of ten GPs said their practice is unable to meet patient demand for access and there is “no realistic chance of this in the near future”. Most GPs believe urgent and sustained investment into general practice is necessary.
Last month, BMA Scotland said that the funding practices receive for every patient has been eroded every year since 2008 which means that there is now a 22.8% shortfall in practice funding. £290 million is required to deliver full funding restoration, which must first stabilise general practice and then grow the GP workforce to improve access and services for patients.
This was highlighted by Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party spokesperson for health and social care, who told Healthcare Today earlier this month: “The baseline funding for GPs is under serious strain and general practice is in trouble. We have trained GPs who are unemployed, and at the same time, patients can’t get an appointment. We need to invest properly in primary care.”
BMA Scotland ran a snap survey of GPs in Scotland from 6 May to 21 May 2025 receiving 1670 responses, with 38% of GP partners in Scotland taking part.
