Commenting on the latest General Practice Workforce Strategy, Dr John Holden, the chief medical officer at MDDUS, said:
“It would be churlish not to acknowledge the improvement this report shows, with a 4% increase in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) GPs working in Scotland.
“However, this figure still lags behind the number of FTE GPs working in Scotland before the pandemic and masks the crisis many practices continue to face amid unprecedented patient demand.
“Our advisers hear regularly from GPs under pressure and worried that the overwhelming demands on their time will lead to errors that will harm patients and their own careers.
“This unsustainable position has direct personal consequences for many doctors, with rates of stress and burnout still stubbornly and worryingly high.
“So while it is encouraging to see the numbers of FTE GPs increase, we are looking to Scottish ministers to continue to accelerate recruitment and retention initiatives and to address the systemic issues causing distress to so many GPs and their teams.”
ENDS
The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) is a mutual organisation that protects the professional interests of more than 65,000 doctors and dentists across the United Kingdom, offering access to indemnity, support and legal advice.
For further information please contact Alison Hardie, Head of Public Affairs and Strategic Communicationson ahardie@mddus.com
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