Majority of GPs say patient safety compromised by workload crisis

The survey, based on 285 responses from GPs across Scotland, was conducted between 28 July and 20 August 2025.

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The findings come as the college calls on political parties to unite behind a long-term plan to properly resource and staff general practice. The RCGP says this is essential in shifting more care into community settings and improving outcomes.

Most parties support the principle of delivering more care in the community, which is widely seen as more effective and cost-efficient. However, RCGP Scotland is urging stronger commitments on funding and workforce planning to make this shift achievable.

Commenting, RCGP Scotland Chair Chris Provan said: “General practice has been expected to take on more work for a growing and rapidly ageing population – with increasingly complex health needs – while receiving a smaller share of the health budget than it did a decade ago.

“This has had predictable consequences. More than 70% of our GP members report that excessive workloads are compromising patient safety. It is simply unrealistic to expect a static number of GPs to absorb ever-increasing demand without this having an impact on safety and staff wellbeing.

“These pressures, combined with concerns about patient safety, are taking a significant toll on GP wellbeing. GPs report reducing their hours to manage stress, and some are leaving the profession altogether. This is the opposite of what we need if we are to deliver more care closer to home.”

International comparisons highlight the scale of the challenge. In Denmark, cross-party backing for strengthening general practice was formalised last year. This includes increasing spending on general practice from 8% to 12% of the national health budget and expanding the GP workforce from around 3,500 to 5,000.

By contrast, Scotland currently allocates less than 6% of its health budget to general practice, down from around 11% a decade ago. A recent agreement between the Scottish Government and BMA Scotland’s General Practitioner Committee is expected to raise this to around 7% by 2030.

RCGP Scotland’s manifesto, General Practice: The Solution to the NHS Crisis, calls for spending to reach 11% of the NHS budget, with a long-term ambition of 15%. It also urges a workforce plan focused on whole-time equivalent GP numbers.

The RCGP Scotland Chair added: “Policy-makers in Denmark have already shown what is possible. There is broad cross-party agreement not only on shifting more care into community settings, but on providing the funding and workforce needed to make that shift deliverable. That is exactly the kind of commitment I am calling for from Scottish political parties in the next session of the Scottish Parliament.

“By setting out an agreed plan to increase funding for general practice and support meaningful workforce expansion, the next Scottish Parliament can ensure that general practice is the solution to the NHS crisis – empowering GPs to work in a rewarding career and able to deliver the highest quality general medical care for the people of Scotland.”

Workforce data included in the report shows that whole-time equivalent GP numbers have fallen slightly from 3,675 in 2013 to 3,591 in 2025, while patient registrations have risen by nearly 9% over the same period.

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “John Swinney and the SNP have pushed GPs to breaking point and put patients’ lives at risk. 

 “GPs are the front door to our NHS and the key to improving health and easing pressure on the wider system – but years of SNP neglect means they cannot cope. 

 “After nearly twenty years of SNP government, too many Scots feel like the health services they rely on are going backwards. 

 “We cannot risk a third decade of SNP failure – but on May 7 we can vote for change by electing a Scottish Labour government that will fix the SNP’s mess, end the 8am rush and restore the family doctor.”

Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Sandesh Gulhane said the findings highlighted pressure on general practice and argued more must be done to expand training and improve access to appointments.

He said: “This stark call exposes the strain general practice is under on the SNP’s watch.

“Successive SNP health secretaries have made savage cuts to primary care budgets, and their dire workforce planning has left GPs like myself dangerously overstretched. This makes it next to impossible for patients to get an appointment with their doctor.

“We would tackle this crisis by introducing a Scottish First policy to guarantee that any medical student studying in Scotland will have access to a GP training programme.

“This would help us meet our pledge of guaranteeing a doctors appointment within 48 hours by the end of the next parliament.

“But, if the SNP win the election, nothing will change. That’s why you need to vote Scottish Conservative on your peach ballot to stop an SNP majority.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said his party would focus on reducing GP workload by expanding the wider primary care workforce.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Scottish Liberal Democrats will always focus on getting stuff done for patients and staff.

“We know that GPs are weighed down by constant workload pressures and we have a realistic plan to change that.

“That’s why we would hire more specialist staff to work alongside them, including mental health specialists and physiotherapists. We would also enable pharmacists to do more prescribing.

“All of this is how we reduce the current burden on GPs and get more patients seen. If you like the sound of that, you should back us on your second, peach, regional ballot paper in May.”

Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay said the findings reflected wider pressures across the NHS and called for sustained investment and a shift towards community care.

“GPs are the backbone of our NHS Without them the NHS would cease to exist as we know it, but they are under more pressure than ever. The fact that so many are being stretched beyond safe limits is a sign of the strain that the system is under.

“We can’t solve GP workload without action on social care. All parties agree that more care should be delivered in our communities, but that cannot be done on the cheap or by asking an already overstretched workforce to do even more. It has to be backed by sustained investment, proper workforce planning and a clear commitment to shift resources into primary care.

“That’s why the Scottish Greens support a long-term increase in the share of NHS funding going to general practice, alongside action to recruit and retain more GPs and reduce the pressure they are under.”

The SNP had said it is investing in general practice and working with GPs to improve access and workforce sustainability.

Clare Haughey said: “The SNP is driving forward improvements in our NHS, working in partnership with GPs to improve access and tackle the 8am rush. We reached an historic deal with GPs which will see over half a billion pounds invested in general practice, including to support recruitment. In Government also introduced the Future Medical Workforce project designed to tackle the challenges facing doctors in the coming years – that is because we value the wellbeing of our doctors.

“Under the SNP the NHS workforce has increased significantly and the number of GPs is continuing to increase, with more GPs per head in Scotland compared to anywhere on these islands.”

She added: “Worryingly though, the Labour Party have suggested they would take a sledgehammer to that carefully crafted contract and force our hard working GPs back to the negotiating table. We’ve seen what is happening with strike after strike in England’s NHS thanks to Keir Starmer, whilst under the SNP we have never had a pay-related strike in our NHS.

“The SNP has a bold plan for our NHS with John Swinney’s strong leadership delivering on the priorities of the people of Scotland – it’s time the Scottish Labour Party removed their threat to Scotland’s GPs and backed our NHS plan.”