Scottish Labour vows to end '8am GP rush' and axe peak ScotRail fares

In one of Anas Sarwar’s first concrete policy announcements ahead of next year’s Holyrood election, the party is promising to open negotiations on a revised GP contract within the first 100 days of a Scottish Labour government - with the strategy a key part of putting the NHS on the line at the ballot box.

Mr Sarwar has also promised to permanently axe peak rail fares that were reinstated by SNP ministers after a trial. The Scottish Labour leader insisted reintroducing peak fares on ScotRail services was “economically the wrong decision, socially the wrong decision, and environmentally the wrong decision”.

He said his party would “do the right thing” and “remove peak rail fares and help alleviate the cost-of-living crisis”.

Scottish Labour claims its pledge on GP appointments will improve triaging so patients can be treated quicker and more efficiently and offer greater continuity of care for patients with frailty or chronic conditions.

But SNP ministers have rubbished the plan as vague, insisting the Scottish Government was already bringing forward “tangible, concrete proposals” to improve the NHS.

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Labour has stressed that while the 2018 GP contract was well intentioned to modernise primary care services, it has failed to deliver.

The party has pointed to a Scottish Government promise to train and recruit 800 more GPs by 2027, but there are 222 fewer whole-time equivalent GPs in Scotland compared to a decade ago.

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Scottish Labour said it has a long-term commitment to raise the proportion of the health budget spent in primary care, claiming this would ensure services were fit for the future.

Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Under the SNP, primary care support has dropped from 11 per cent of the health budget to 6 per cent and at the same time we have fewer GPs and more patients.

“The SNP have simply failed patients and they have failed GPs. The result is that too often Scots who need help from their GP surgery are left on hold only to be told there are no appointments left.”

She added: “Scottish Labour will renegotiate the GP contract, so it delivers for patients and GPs and ensures that anyone who needs to can be seen within 48 hours. Our NHS needs a new direction and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it.”

However, Health Secretary Neil Gray said he and First Minister John Swinney had already “set out clear, tangible, concrete proposals to improve our NHS, increase capacity and make it easier for people to see their GP”.

Mr Gray said: “In contrast, Labour’s big idea appears to be the renegotiation of a contract and hoping this delivers better outcomes. Labour are talking about talks, while the First Minister and I are taking decisive action here and now to improve our NHS.”

The Health Secretary added: “We already have the highest number of GPs per head in the UK and a record number of trainee GPs coming through the system, but we are determined to go further and increase the number of GPs by 800 by 2027.”

Adding the 2025/26 Scottish Budget “includes record funding for the NHS and more money for primary care”, Mr Gray hit out at Labour for “refusing to back this investment”. He said: “We know that people want better access to their GP and we are determined to deliver that. “