Future of GP partnership model in Scotland threatened by 'years of neglect'

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Scotland said "enormous" pressures have coincided with a stark decline over the last decade.

It said the number of whole‑time equivalent GP partners has fallen by 31.3 per cent, from 3,690 in 2015 to just 2,532 in 2025.

In Scotland, with independent contractor arrangements for the majority of primary care, a general practitioner or partnership of GPs can hold a contract with NHS Scotland to provide general medical services under the Scottish GMS Contract.

Across the workforce there are GP partners, salaried GPs and sessional GPs who undertake locum work.

The RCGP said it supports a mixed model of general practice provision, but argued the partnership model “encourages strong fiscal discipline and empowers practices to deliver personalised, high‑quality care for their patients”.

Its annual survey of GPs found 76 per cent believe partnerships promote continuity of care, while 71 per cent said the model offers the flexibility needed to respond to local needs.

Despite this, only 32 per cent of members said they were likely to consider becoming a GP partner in the future, compared with 45 per cent who said they were unlikely. Half said the traditional partnership model is no longer attractive to GPs.

Dr Chris Provan, chair of RCGP Scotland, said: “As a GP partner myself, I have seen firsthand the significant advantages of GP partnership for patients and for the wider NHS.

“It encourages strong fiscal discipline, and empowers practices to deliver personalised, high‑quality care for their patients. It is therefore deeply concerning that so many GPs feel unable to consider partnership as a future career path.

“Years of underfunding and neglect have left GP partners responsible for delivering increasingly complex care to a growing and ageing population, without the resources required to do so. This places enormous pressure on partners, who ultimately bear the responsibility.

“Our survey shows that workforce shortages, premises liability, and access to business and financial training are key areas that must be addressed to make partnership more attractive. Protecting the partnership model must start here.

“At present, the prospect of running a practice on extremely tight budgets, with limited recruitment options and responsibility for inadequate buildings, is deterring many GPs from partnership. This is reflected in the 31 per cent fall in the number of GP partners over the last decade.

“The RCGP supports a mixed model of general practice provision, but it is vital that we protect the core strengths of partnership: autonomy, continuity of care, and innovation. If we value the tailored, relationship-based care that partnership delivers, we must ensure it receives the support it needs.”

Clare Haughey, SNP candidate for Rutherglen and Cambuslang, said: “Under the SNP, Scotland has more GPs per head of population than anywhere else in the UK - with numbers set to increase further after we made a landmark £531 million investment in core general practice.

“We are now opening GP walk-in clinics all over the country to tackle the 8am rush.

“The SNP is the only party with a serious plan for our NHS, and under John Swinney’s reliable and experienced leadership it is paying off.”