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Humza Yousaf promises increased funding review to attract GPs to rural areas

Humza Yousaf
The health secretary has commit to explore increased funding to programmes to support GP recruitment in rural areas.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf will explore whether more cash can be found to attract GPs to remote, rural and island communities.

The problem of GP recruitment in remote and rural locations was raised at Holyrood by Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett.

He said medical practices at Alford and Torphins in his constituency have been left “unable to recruit new GPs and have handed their contract back to NHS Grampian”.

The health secretary was asked whether he would commit to increase funding to boost the ‘Rediscover the Joy of General Practice’ project which was launched in 2018.

Conservative MSP Alexander Burnett.

It sought to improve GP recruitment in board areas, which serve rural communities, including Grampian, Highland, Tayside, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles.

During health portfolio questions, Mr Yousaf responded: “I will explore the increase to funding because he’s right. The Rediscover The Joy programme was an excellent programme but we’ll also look to see what more we can do to incentivise.

“He knows we have plans in place to increase the numbers of GPs in Scotland.

“He’s absolutely right to say that should be an equitable distribution, not just focused for example on the Central Belt, but also on our remote, rural and island areas.

“So I will look at his suggestion that he has raised and I will come back to the members.”

Struggle to recruit GPs

Alford Medical Practice announced in December that it is parting ways with NHS Grampian amid a struggle to recruit new GPs.

The contract – for “general medical services” will expire on June 12, but a number of options are being considered for the future of the practice.

The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) is stepping in to ensure GP practices in Alford continue past the six-month deadline.

Meanwhile, the contract to provide GP services at Torphins has been won by Bennachie Medical Group.

GP surgeries are struggling to recruit doctors.

Friockheim Health Centre in Angus announced last week that it is closing due to a “severe” shortage of doctors.

NHS Tayside and Angus Health and Social Care Partnership will be working to ensure that patients can access GP and primary care services from June 1.

Mr Yousaf told MSPs the Scottish Government invested more than £300,000 in 2020-21 to support the recruitment of GPs to rural practices, as well as allocating £200,000 to fund relocation expenses and £400,000 to ‘golden hellos’ – a financial incentive.