Fresh concerns were raised last night about GP shortages after it emerged that Shetland and the Western Isles had the highest vacancy rates in the country.
New figures have revealed that Shetland has a 33% vacancy rate for family doctors, the biggest proportion in Scotland, while the Outer Hebrides was at 15%.
It also emerged that the number of whole time equivalent (WTE) GPs on Shetland had fallen by 43% since 2009, and that the Western Isles was down by 31%.
Across Scotland, the 2017 primary care workforce survey found a “consistent decline” in the estimated number GPs in four years, down by 160, or more than 4%, since 2013.
Almost a quarter of the GP practices responding to the survey also reported current GP vacancies, taking the vacancy rate from 1.7% in 2013 to 5.6% in 2017, the study said.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Scotland said the findings highlight the need for strong “action to tackle the GP shortage sooner rather than later”.
The report emerged amid an ongoing controversy over a new GP contract which rural doctors say benefits urban practices at the expense of their remote counterparts.
Last night, Shetland MSP Tavish Scott said: “I met the chief executive of NHS Shetland yesterday to discuss the GP shortage in Shetland. Many constituents have been in touch.
“We must look at every aspect of recruitment. That includes advertising through the brilliant Island Medics TV show, encouraging Shetland medical students to come back to work in the islands and offering great lifestyles in Shetland for professional people.
“That will hopefully help limit the situation where a GP post has been advertised eight times yet only had a single applicant in that time.”
The report, produced by ISD for the Scottish Government, states that the estimated headcount of GPs working in general practice has changed “very little” over time.
However, the estimated WTE of GPs has dropped from 3,735 in 2013 to 3,575 in 2017.
There has also been “a continued decrease” in the proportion of GPs working a full-time commitment of eight or more sessions per week, from 51% in 2013 to 37% last year.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “Primary care workforce levels in Scotland are now at a record high and it is especially encouraging to see the numbers of practice nurses have increased by almost 10% and healthcare support workers by a third in the last five years.
“This is in line with our vision of expanding teams of healthcare professionals working in general practice such as practice nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists, so patients can access the right person at the right time.”