Scotland GPs enter ‘formal dispute’ with Government over underfunding

The BMA in Scotland has moved into ‘formal dispute’ with the Government over years of underfunding.

Today the union’s Scottish GP committee wrote to cabinet secretary for health Neil Gray and informed him they have entered formal dispute with Scottish Government.

It comes after Scottish LMCs representatives voted in favour of balloting the profession on industrial action last year, as a result of ‘years of disinvestment in general practice’ with financial cuts opposed to uplifts to GP partners pay. 

Earlier this year, the union had threatened to enter formal dispute after urging the Government to address underfunding in general practice.

A recent BMA survey found that nearly 160 full-time equivalent salaried and locum GPs in Scotland are currently ‘seeking work’ and that nearly half of GPs (44.58%) in Scotland say the future of their practice is ‘precarious’ or ‘not sustainable’.

The full survey results were shared with the Scottish GP committee who, on the back of the results and ‘lack of progress in negotiations’, voted unanimously to enter formal dispute.  

The committee’s chair Dr Iain Morrison and deputy chairs Dr Chris Black and Dr Al Miles said: ‘Legally, this is the next step in escalating our concerns in preparation for a ballot of the profession on taking disruptive action.

‘We want to make it clear, no one wants this escalation to take place, and urgent talks with the Cabinet Secretary and Scottish Government continue to identify how they can work with us to provide full funding restoration and exit this dispute. 

‘We have been told, time and time again, that resource must shift to the community, but with no attempt to even begin to plug the £290 million gap in 2025/26 the lack of action to support the rhetoric continues.’

The union added that the Government has proposed to accept the pay recommendations from the doctors’ pay review body, but have within that proposal ‘chosen to neglect the true inflationary staff and non-staff costs’.

It warned that this means that no practice in Scotland will be able to deliver upon the recommendations ‘without impacting on services’ or partners bearing the cost.

RCGP Scotland chair Dr Chris Provan said that the move by the SGPC shows ‘the strength of feeling’ among GPs in Scotland.

He said: ‘Absolutely no GP wants to be in this position of having to consider collective action against the Scottish Government, we would much rather be focused on providing services for patients.

‘However, today’s move by the SGPC shows the strength of feeling among GPs in Scotland. The current crisis in general practice is unsustainable.

‘General practice is the bedrock of the NHS and carries out around 90% of patient contacts on any given day. When properly resourced, general practice alleviates pressures across the NHS, but the worsening workload and workforce crises are hampering the ability of GPs to deliver high quality care for patients.

‘It is not for RCGP Scotland to get involved in contractual negotiations between the BMA and the Scottish Government, nor to influence any decision making about collective action. Regardless of what happens next, we want to see general practice reprioritised so that GPs and their teams can deliver whole person medical care.’

Pulse has contacted the Scottish Government for comment.

At the end of last year, Scottish GP leaders outlined a list of demands for the Government to meet in order to avoid industrial action, including GPs receiving 15% of the NHS budget and long-term contract reforms.

It pointed out that a ‘gross neglect’ of GMS ‘over many years’ has led to a crisis in general practice, and added that the proportion of NHS funding allocated to general practice must return to its previous level of 11%, with the ‘ultimate goal’ of reaching 15% of overall NHS spending.