December 2nd 2024

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Scotland details measures to boost rural GP workforce

A new Government plan of action in five areas will support the recruitment and retention of GPs in rural areas of Scotland

General Practitioner Recruitment and Retention Action Plan 2024 - 2026 sets out five domains of action: plan, attract, train, employ, nurture and details 20 measures, of which four specifically refer to rural areas.

The rural measures include:  

• Plan: improve data quality on capacity and whole time equivalent of the workforce (including in rural areas and across health inequalities) and on the GP labour market including vacancies and locum opportunities.
• Train: evaluate the impact of ScotGEM undergraduate medical programme on level of qualified GPs in areas of rural Scotland
• Employ: consider, and implement as needed, the forthcoming 2025 findings from the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care evaluation of the Rediscover the Joy project which supports practice sustainability in remote and rural areas and mainly Board-run practices, through adding GP capacity.
• Nurture: explore and implement ways to improve and expand the existing fellowship opportunities across Scotland for early career GPs on completion of GPST to support recruitment and retention in remote/rural areas, areas of deprivation and support all qualifying GPs to transition into the workforce.