RCGP Scotland response to end of dispute between BMA Scotland and Scottish Government

Commenting on the decision of the BMA Scotland to de-escalate from dispute with the Scottish Government, RCGP Scotland Chair Dr Chris Provan said:

“When the BMA announced in June that general practice had entered dispute with Scottish Government over inadequate funding, we hoped for this to be resolved rapidly. General practice in Scotland is under unprecedented pressure after years of neglect and chronic underfunding.

"While RCGP Scotland does not take part in contractual negotiations between the BMA and the Scottish Government, we can see clearly the negative impact of underfunding on the care our patients receive and we welcome that there has been very significant progress in talks.

"We understand that the offer of improvements to funding is not the end of this journey and we are pleased there is ongoing negotiation between the parties. Ultimately this has the potential to return general practice in Scotland to a more sustainable footing. By enabling the recruitment of more GPs and easing the current unmanageable workload, we can improve patient care.

"We are confident that this new direction of travel from the Scottish Government will in time deliver the world class care that patients deserve."

Further information

Media requests to Marcus Carslaw, Policy and Public Relations Officer RCGP Scotland
Tel: 07808 795493
marcus.carslaw@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

RCGP Scotland represents a network of around 5,000 doctors in Scotland aiming to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standard of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on resources, education, training, research, and clinical standards.