NINE in 10 patients believe there should be more funding for GPs amid a shortage of family doctors and practice closures.
A total of 88 per cent of Scots want the service to be better funded, according to the study of more than 1,000 adults in Scotland.
The YouGov poll also found four-fifths of those questioned believe GPs are the community professionals they trust the most to meet their healthcare needs. Four-fifths of Scots believe GPs are the community professionals they trust the most to meet their healthcare needs, according to a poll.
The Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland, which commissioned the YouGov study, said the finding demonstrated overwhelming support for the work of family doctors.
The results were released as the RCPG’s annual conference takes place in Liverpool.
The survey asked respondents a range of questions on their opinion of general practice and their views on the current state of the service in Scotland.
It found 79 per cent of people think it is the family doctor that can be trusted most, compared to other professionals in the wider general practice team, to help meet their healthcare needs.
In addition, 63 per cent of patients told researchers they want to see a GP first when making an appointment, rather than being asked to see other members of the primary care team.
A similar figure, 64 per cent, of the public placed importance on seeing the same GP each time if possible.
The RCGP said the findings give strong support for their call for GPs “to remain firmly at the centre of patient care”.
The body said almost nine in 10 Scots, 88%, support their campaign for more funding for the GP service.
Dr Miles Mack, chair of RCGP Scotland, said: “GPs are uniquely placed to deliver care others cannot offer, and their rigorous training in delivering this effectively means that they are best placed within the healthcare system as the first port of call for their patients’ needs.
“GPs hugely value the work of our multi-disciplinary team members, but no other professional within our teams can or should be used as a replacement for general practitioners."
Scottish Labour’s health spokesman, and leadership candidate, Anas Sarwar praised the work of GPs, but added: “The SNP has consistently failed to properly workforce plan and our GPs have been left over-worked, under-resourced and under-valued by this SNP government.
“Scottish Labour has launched a workforce commission to tackle the SNP’s staffing crisis in our NHS – and we would use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to ensure our GPs are properly resourced so they can continue their fantastic work.”
Health Secretary Shona Robison said the Government will, by the end of the current Parliament, have spent £250 million a year in direct support of family doctors as part of a pledge to raise primary care funding by £500 million.
She added: “Through this increased investment, over £71m this year is going to initiatives to support GPs like the development of multidisciplinary teams to free GPs time to help them focus on those most in need of their skills
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