Displaying items by tag: dropin services

Scottish first minister John Swinney’s plan to launch 15 new GP- and nurse-led walk-in health centres has sparked debate among medical leaders about staffing and feasibility. The proposal aims to ease the ‘8 am rush’ for appointments by offering no-booking consultations from noon to 8 pm, seven days a week, potentially adding a million more appointments annually. However, doctors’ groups, including the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Scotland, say they were not consulted and question how the services will be staffed given a declining full-time GP workforce. Although the number of doctors in Scotland has risen slightly since 2015, many now work part-time, and the number of GP practices has fallen by 10%. Health secretary Neil Gray insists Scotland’s record 1,200 GP trainees can help fill gaps, but critics warn that workforce pressures and unclear logistics could limit the scheme’s success. The initiative highlights growing tension between political ambition and the realities of primary care delivery.