Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21356 on 26 February 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

(a) The GMC, acting as the regulator of the medical profession, oversees UK medical education and training. Medical training leading to qualification as a GP generally consists of a 5 year degree at medical school or in the case of Scotland’s first graduate entry medical programme (ScotGEM) which has a GP focus, a 4 year degree. The undergraduate degree is followed by 2 years of foundation training and three years of GP specialty training. For those who train less than full time (LTFT) or return from out of practice, it can take longer.

(b) There is not a typical timescale for GP recruitment and it is a matter for independent contractors i.e. individual GP practices. The Scottish Government is taking forward a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention of GPs in the short and long term. For example by offering the ScotGEM course and return of service bursary we are encouraging more students into GP and, therefore, aim to increase the number of GPs in the long term.

Numbers of vacancies for GP posts are not held centrally, as this is a matter for individual independent GP contractors as employers.

The latest GP figures published by ISD show that there is a record number of GPs working in NHS Lothian, with a headcount of 941 in September 2018 compared to 815 in September 2008. The headcount for Scotland has increased from 4,885 to 4,994 in the same period.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Although it is possible for NHS National Services Scotland to provide information about practices that have an ‘end date’, they would include mergers, takeovers and splits, so the figures would not reflect real closures.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21361 on 19 February 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at 
http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Undergraduate medical places are not decided by or allocated for particular specialties. Over their degree, medical students will gain through theory and practical experience the basic skills and competencies required to practice medicine, but deciding on specialty career follows after graduation. Through our new graduate entry programme, we are increasing the time students spend in primary and community-based services.

The information requested is not held in the format sought. The data for those entering GP specialty training is partially available from NHS Education for Scotland (NES) from 2009 onwards as follows :

Number (headcount) of GPs in Scotland, by NHS Board, as at 30 September 2007 to 2018:

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Practices must apply to their Health Boards to close their lists and agree the conditions and timelines for reopening them.

Circumstances will arise where a practice experiences capacity issues and is unable to routinely accept new patients onto its list. We expect Health Boards to work with practices as constructively and as flexibly as is appropriate to help manage the situation and ensure that all patients have access to GP services.

NHS Boards have a duty, through the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act, to investigate and respond to any concerns raised, to take improvement actions where appropriate and to share learning from the views they receive.

My officials are in contact with West Lothian HSCP and they have advised me of the decision to continue to provide consolidated GP services for all patients registered at The Briech Valley Medical Practice, including patients living in Stoneyburn.

The HSCP state that they remain committed to retaining the Stoneyburn Community Health Centre where patients can access a wider range of community health services. They include district nursing, health visitor, midwifery, drug & alcohol, podiatry and physiotherapy. They are also looking at ways of bolstering services to the Stoneyburn community. Housebound patients will continue to receive exactly the same services as they do at the moment.

The safety of patients and practice staff is always of the highest priority.