Cost outweighs benefits on primary care

EVERY Scottish patient visits their GP on average three times each year. As a result, Scotland's 4,721 GPs are on the front line when it comes to improving the nation's health. But four years ago, a quarter of these GPs were seriously considering quitting general practice as a result of unsustainable workloads and poor pay. The same crisis in primary care provision was pending in the rest of the UK.

So in April 2004, in a bid to maintain GP numbers, as well as to modernise their working conditions, a new contract was agreed between the BMA and the NHS Confederation, representing the four UK health departments, including Scotland. Called the new ...