The Scottish Government has announced £531 million of additional funding to support General Practice recruitment.

This represents the largest investment to date in core GP services in Scotland.

The money is still subject to Parliament agreeing future budgets.

The announcement comes following agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) over new additional funding which builds to a recurring £249 million in three years’ time.

The funding will be used to boost staff numbers and capacity, support day-to-day operations and make it easier for people to access GP services.

An initial investment of £98 million will be made available in 2026-27, with £183 million being invested in 2027-28 and £249 million following in 2028-29.

Health secretary Neil Gray said: “We have been listening carefully to the views of Scotland’s GPs and I am pleased the BMA has accepted the Scottish Government’s offer to increase funding by £249 million, which takes total investment in General Practice to more than half a billion pounds over the next three years.

“This is the largest investment in core GP services to date in Scotland and will significantly boost recruitment from next year, helping to deliver the capacity needed to improve services for patients.

"This funding will help us as we shift the focus of care from acute to community. We remain focused on reducing waiting times and new figures show we are making progress - waits of more than a year have reduced for the fourth month in a row and the total waiting list size has also reduced."

Dr Iain Morrison, Chair of BMA Scotland’s GP Committee said: “For some time, we have been clear that the only way to put General Practice in Scotland on a sustainable footing for the future and to improve access for patients was direct investment into practices to recruit and retain GPs.

“Today’s announcement, secured after a robust but constructive set of negotiations is welcome recognition of that fact and reflects the level of funding needed to stabilise and rebuild General Practice across Scotland in both urban and rural areas.

"It is a significant step in the right direction, and importantly is a vote of confidence in the long-term future of the independent contractor model of general practice that has served local communities across Scotland so well."