A Government scheme aimed at boosting doctor numbers in rural areas has been criticised as it resulted in only two new GPs being hired in Scotland.
New figures presented to the Scottish Parliament revealed that out of 52 students who graduated from the first cohort of the Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM), only 10 went into GP training, and only two took up posts in the north of Scotland.
ScotGEM offers a four-year Primary Medical Qualification which ‘focuses on rural medicine’ and is ‘designed to develop interest in a generalist career’ as a doctor working within NHS Scotland, according to the Government.
It was introduced in 2018 to ‘try and help address the shortage of NHS doctors in Scotland’, with a focus on primary care and remote and rural medicine.
However, Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Tim Eagle told Parliament that the scheme ‘could have been an answer’ to GP shortages, but that it has been unsuccessful so far.
The Scottish Government argued that the first cohort of ScotGEM graduates completed their foundation training in August last year, and it is ‘too early’ to conduct a full evaluation of the programme at this stage.
Mr Eagle, whose wife is a practising GP, said: ‘I recently asked a question on the programme and I found out that, of the 52 students who graduated, only 42 completed their foundation year and only 10 of those went into GP training.
‘In the north of Scotland, we got only two GPs. Therefore, although the programme could have been successful, it has not been successful for us yet.’
BMA Scotland GP committee chair Dr Iain Morrison said that it is important to evaluate the scheme ‘at the appropriate point’.
He said: ‘Given the stages of their career that the first cohort of ScotGEM students are at and the limited control they will have over where they ultimately practice, it is far too early to judge the success or otherwise of the scheme in terms of tackling shortages of doctors in any part of Scotland.
‘It’s important to fully evaluate ScotGEM at the appropriate point, as part of creative and concerted efforts to encourage more people into medicine and, from my point of view, into general practice in particular.’
He said that the Government ‘must take stock’ on why a career as a GP is ‘appearing so unattractive’ to newly qualified doctors and work to make it the ‘incredibly rewarding choice’ it can be.
Dr Morrison added: ‘We must see immediate action taken to increase direct investment into GPs – this is absolutely crucial not only for the future of general practice, but to ensure the long-term sustainability of the NHS.
‘And we need a long term workforce plan, which ensures we have the doctors we need, where we need them, to meet demand.’
RCGP Scotland chair Dr Chris Provan said that recruiting and retaining GPs in remote or rural areas is difficult for many practices.
He added: ‘RCGP Scotland supports the aims of ScotGEM to support GP recruitment in rural areas, which offers an alternative pathway into medicine and provides students with intensive experiences in remote and rural general practice.
‘Every effort must be made to boost the recruitment and retention of GPs in remote and rural areas to ensure the stability of these important services for patients.’
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: ‘Scotland has more General Practitioners per head than the rest of the UK. However we recognise the challenges we face in recruiting new GPs to rural areas and are taking action to counter these in a number of ways.
‘This includes incentivised “golden hello” payments of up to £10,000 for rural areas, a £1 million investment in bursaries for GP trainees who remain in remote and rural areas for their training and the ScotGEM medical degree programme.
‘The first cohort of ScotGEM students completed their foundation training in August 2024 and it is too early to conduct a full evaluation of the programme at this stage.’
It comes as NHS Education for Scotland data showed that the number of whole-time equivalent GPs continued to decrease in the past year, from 3,478 in 2023 to 3,453 in 2024, a decrease of 0.7%.
Last year, health officials were offering GPs a £150,000 salary – and a £10,000 golden hello – in a bid to fill staffing gaps on remote Scottish islands.
The ScotGEM scheme’s outcome so far is disappointing, with only two GPs hired in rural Scotland despite its ambitious goals. While the Scottish Government argues it’s too early to evaluate, these initial results highlight a significant mismatch between the program’s intent and its effectiveness. Offering “golden hello” payments and bursaries may help, but unless the systemic issues making rural GP posts unattractive—such as workload, isolation, and inadequate support—are addressed, these schemes will continue to fall short. Creative solutions are needed, not just financial incentives.