Too Few Doctors Training In Scotland: BMA

The UK's major representative group for medics has issued a warning that too few doctors are in training across Scotland.

The British Medical Association (BMA) warned that Scotland was heading for a General Practitioner (GP) 'workforce crisis' as too few doctors are being trained to replace those retiring or leaving the profession.

The warning came as GPs gathered in Clydebank for their annual Conference of Local Medical Committees.

BMA Scotland has produced a new briefing paper which outlines the challenges facing the GP workforce.

It brings together evidence on morale, early retirement and the shortage of training opportunities to highlight the severity of the problem facing NHS primary care in Scotland.

Key findings featured in the report are: One in five GPs plans to retire within 10 years; Half of GPs report low morale; Fewer new GPs are completing training and Rural and deprived communities are hit hardest as they struggle to recruit GPs.

Dr Dean Marshall, Chairman of the BMA's Scottish GP Committee said: "General Practice is the cornerstone of the NHS and it is essential that Scottish Government recognises the importance of planning a GP workforce for the future.

"There is increasing demand from doctors of both sexes for family friendly policies, including part time working.

"It is vital to support these policies not least to retain highly skilled professionals in the service, but with significant numbers of GPs now working part time, this represents a significant fall in the availability of GPs that must be addressed urgently."

The BMA report recommends the introduction of a step-down scheme for GPs approaching retirement as well as an increase in GP specialist registrar places and the encouragement of training opportunities in rural and deprived practices.

The call comes at the same time as doctors in Northern Ireland are saying that patient care is suffering from a shortage of junior doctors.

According to the Chairman of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee in NI, Dr Rajesh Rajendran, health trusts need to urgently address the issue.

He has written to the chief executives of Northern Ireland's five Trusts about the serious issue of a shortage in the number of junior doctors working here.

He has told them that this problem is ultimately affecting the quality of patient care in our local hospitals.

Dr Rajendran said: "Junior doctors are being pressured to work excessive hours to fill gaps in ward rotas, often without additional pay."

(BMcC)