Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: General Practice

Miles Briggs S5M-09218 That the Parliament recognises that general practice is a vital frontline service of the NHS; believes that the Scottish Government has underfunded general practice over the last decade and failed to shift the balance of care from acute to primary services; notes with concern Audit Scotland’s report that there is a lack of national data on the primary care workforce; further notes that one-in-four GP practices has a vacancy and one-in-three GPs is approaching retirement, and believes that the Scottish Government must take urgent action to prevent a crisis in general practice. Further details available for S5M-09218 Shona Robison S5M-09218.4 As an amendment to motion S5M-09218 in the name of Miles Briggs (General Practice), leave out from “believes that the Scottish Government" to end and insert “recognises the challenges, including in recruitment and retention, faced by GPs and the wider primary care sector; notes that the new GP contract, developed in partnership with the BMA, aims to reduce GP workloads; recognises GPs as expert medical specialists leading a wider primary care workforce; welcomes that the contract plans to significantly improve national data on primary care, as well as move to address the inverse care law by giving greater emphasis to the effects of deprivation on both physical and mental health and wellbeing; believes that an increasing share of NHS frontline funding being directed to primary care is necessary in order to help increase the number of GPs and wider primary care workforce, and that steps toward this should be set out in the primary care workforce plan, and is concerned that the potential impact of Brexit on free movement and the mutual recognition of qualifications may become a serious barrier to current and future recruitment efforts.” Further details available for S5M-09218.4 Colin Smyth S5M-09218.2 As an amendment to motion S5M-09218 in the name of Miles Briggs (General Practice), insert at end "; further believes that long-term workforce planning failures, including years of pay restraint, have contributed to rising rates of vacant posts across the health service, often placing general practice under further strain, and calls on the Scottish Government to deliver a real-terms pay rise to NHS staff as part of future support for Scotland’s health workforce." Further details available for S5M-09218.2