Skills in Health Education<\/p>\n
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The general practitioner has been at the centre of primary health care since the earliest days of the National Health Service. In 1948 the idea of having a family doctor was so popular that, within a month of the NHS being formed, 90% of the population had registered with a GP.<\/p>\n
The role has always faced its challenges, with the need to keep up with growing demands and expectations a recurring theme. And GPs are back in the news this week as a result of a new study from the Nuffield Trust carried out for the BBC\u2019s Panorama programme.<\/p>\n
While the Nuffield Trust\u2019s analysis of GPs per head of population indicates that Scotland has 76 GPs per 100,000 people compared with a UK average of 60, the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland has warned of a shortfall of family doctors by 2021. We also need to sustain services to rural and remote communities.<\/p>\n
The Scottish Funding Council has been working closely with the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Department (SGHSCD), NHS Education for Scotland and universities to take on these challenges. Our outcome agreements with universities now include special requirements related to health, with specific actions to encourage more of our young doctors to become GPs.<\/p>\n
We know that graduates are more likely to apply for GP training if they have had prior positive experience of primary health care so we have asked universities to look at ways to increase placements in primary healthcare settings. Additionally, we are working with universities to ensure that all medical students are regularly taught by GPs. To meet the future needs of the NHS and increase the number of graduates who will stay and work in Scotland, we are asking universities to evidence the work they are doing with schools and colleges to encourage applicants from more diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n