There needs to be
a shift in GPs from affluent areas to more deprived areas where
they are most needed, according to the Scottish Parliament's
Health and Sport Committee.
Publishing its response to the Scottish Government's
publication Equally Well, the committee calls on the Scottish
Government to take a robust stance in its negotiations with the
British Medical Association over the terms of the next GP
contract. According to the committee's Health Inequalities
Inquiry, the current funding allocation formula for GP practices
needs to be revised if deep-rooted health inequalities are to be addressed.
Convener of the Health and Sport Committee, Christine Grahame MSP said,
"We know that health problems for the most deprived people
in Scotland are around three times those encountered by those
living in affluent areas. Yet there is a flat distribution of GPs
across Scotland. That cannot be right.
"We need to make sure that GP practices in our most deprived
areas have the resources to enable GPs and nurses to address the
often complex health problems faced by the people living in the
most deprived parts of our society.
"The way that the funding formula currently works means that
GPs working in deprived areas are financially disadvantaged
compared to their colleagues working in more affluent areas. That
is unfair both to the people working in the GP practices and the
patients they serve. Clearly, it's also a disincentive to GPs
working in deprived areas. That is exactly why the committee has
encouraged the Scottish Government to take a strong line in its negotiations."
Background
The Health and Sport Committee undertook a short
inquiry into health inequalities to inform its consideration of
the Scottish Government's document, Equally Well - the report
of the ministerial task force on health inequalities.
The committee took evidence from 'on-the-ground' health
professional from Glasgow and the Highlands, as well as public
health specialists and officials from local government and NHS Scotland.
The committee examined issues pertaining to health inequalities
as a whole and, more specifically, those that relate to
cardiovascular disease.
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