SCOTTISH Labour have been met with skepticism over a pledge to renegotiate the current GP contract to ensure patients are seen within 48 hours.
Anas Sarwar’s party has vowed it will renegotiate the current GP contract if it forms the government after next year’s Holyrood elections, adding this would allow changes to be made to improve access to family doctors.
The party announced the policy in the run-up to its Scottish conference, which gets under way in Glasgow on Friday.
But the gathering comes at a time when support for Labour has dropped in polls following unpopular decisions made by Keir Starmer’s Westminster Government on issues such as the introduction of means testing for pensioners’ winter fuel payments.
With Scottish Labour, however, determined to challenge the SNP in the 2026 Holyrood elections, a number of policies are expected to be announced.
As part of this it is pledging to end the “8am rush” for GP appointments – a policy first announced on a UK level by Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting before the General Election – and committing to starting negotiations on a revised contract with family doctors within 100 days of a Scottish Labour government being formed.
This new contract, Labour says, could allow patients to book GP appointments in advance, as well as get access to a doctor within 48 hours when they need medical attention.
Hitting out at the SNP, health spokesperson and Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “Under the SNP, primary care support has dropped from 11% of the health budget to 6% and at the same time we have fewer GPs and more patients.
“The SNP have simply failed patients and they have failed GPs.
“The result is that too often Scots who need help from their GP surgery are left on hold only to be told there are no appointments left.”
Baillie added: “Scottish Labour will renegotiate the GP contract so it delivers for patients and GPs and ensures that anyone who needs to can be seen within 48 hours.”
However, Neil Gray said he and First Minister John Swinney had already “set out clear, tangible, concrete proposals to improve our NHS, increase capacity and make it easier for people to see their GP”.
Gray added: “In contrast, Labour’s big idea appears to be the renegotiation of a contract and hoping this delivers better outcomes.
“Labour are talking about talks, while the First Minister and I are taking decisive action here and now to improve our NHS.”
The Health Secretary continued: “We already have the highest number of GPs per head in the UK and a record number of trainee GPs coming through the system – but we are determined to go further and increase the number of GPs by 800 by 2027.”
Adding that the 2025-26 Scottish Budget “includes record funding for the NHS and more money for primary care”, Gray hit out at Labour for “refusing to back this investment”.
He stated: “We know that people want better access to their GP and we are determined to deliver that.”
The Scottish Greens, meanwhile, also cast doubt on the Scottish Labour pledge.
The party’s health spokesperson, Gillian Mackay (above), said: “Everyone wants to end the 8am scramble and reduce waiting times. But to do so requires investment in our public services.
“It requires investment in our education system to train more health professionals, it also requires investment in the healthcare system to employ them, and it requires investment in technology to update our booking systems.”
The MSP added: “Unfortunately ‘investment’ is a word missing from Labour’s vocabulary. While Scottish Greens are calling for a wealth tax on the richest 1% in order to fund public services, Labour are modelling 11% departmental cuts. And in Scotland they want to go even further so they can reduce taxes on higher incomes.
“We all saw how easily Labour made promises in 2024. And as those promises dropped one by one after the election, we’ve all seen how much they meant.”
Dr Iain Morrison, chair of BMA Scotland, which represents Scotland's GPs, added: “There is no doubt GPs in Scotland are facing huge challenges in reduced resources, higher costs and increased demands, which is impacting on patients who can face difficulties in timely access.
“Any recognition of the urgent need to tackle these challenges is welcome, but proposals to improve access will not be achievable without there being a plan on how to increase capacity, and this must include more direct investment into General Practice.
“A properly resourced General Practice can deliver for the people of Scotland and is a necessity to securing a sustainable NHS. We look forward to seeing the detail, especially around appropriate resourcing and how we can employ more GPs to serve Scotland's needs.”
