John Swinney warned rapid expansion of GP walk-in clinics risks worsening health inequalities and NHS staffing

John Swinney cautioned rapid expansion of GP walk-in clinics risks worsening health inequalities and NHS staffing.

Key points

• The Scottish administration has confirmed 24 new walk-in centres, taking the total number of facilities to 40 – with a one-year pilot extended until 2029.
• The First Minister pledged to open five new centres and announce 14 further locations within the first 100 days of forming his new administration.
• New statistics published on Tuesday indicated that in July, GP walk-in centres delivered an average of 120 appointments per day.
• He continued: The pilot was originally presented as a one-year pilot, yet it has now been extended until April 2029 without clear justification.
• John Swinney has been cautioned a rapid expansion of 24 new GP walk-in clinics risks "unintended consequences" – including worsening health inequalities and adding to NHS workforce pressures.

For context, the Scottish administration has confirmed 24 new walk-in centres, taking the total number of facilities to 40 – with a one-year pilot extended until 2029.

For context, the First Minister pledged to open five new centres and announce 14 further locations within the first 100 days of forming his new administration.

He remarked the fleet of facilities will provide patients "greater choice and access to care closer to home", adding that the strategy will support in "relieving pressure on hospitals and acute services".

But clinicians have cautioned the walk-in clinics are a distraction and have called on the Scottish government's one-year pilot to be concluded and funding redirected to core GP services, with medics claiming there is"no justification" to expand the one-year pilot scheme.

While the pilot scheme will be extended until April 2029 despite an initial evaluation yet to take place, mr Swinney has officially opened the 11th walk-in centre, in Buckhaven in Fife.

According to the administration, the GP walk-in pilot is testing new ways of accessing same-day care from GPs, advanced nurse practitioners or other clinicians at a wider range of times.

New statistics published on Tuesday indicated that in July, GP walk-in centres delivered an average of 120 appointments per day. By comparison, GP practices throughout Scotland provide around 136, 000 patient contacts on a typical weekday, meaning the GP walk-in centres at present opened continued approximately 0.09 per cent of further capacity. John Swinney grapples with delivery of SNP's flagship '100-days' commitments.

For context, the SNP introduced the walk-in strategy as the party and Scottish Labour vowed to end the so-called 8am rush for GP appointments ahead of May's Holyrood election.

But Mr Swinney has been issued a stark warning that a further expansion of the facilities could add to workforce pressures throughout the NHS and potentially worsen health inequalities.

Dr Chris Provan, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners(RCGP) in Scotland, remarked: GP walk-in centres have already been extensively trialled in England and simply failed to deliver the results promised to patients who deserve high-quality care in their community. They did not reduce pressure on GP practices or A&E departments, and there is no reason to suggest the Scottish pilot will be any different.

"What's particularly concerning is that the English experience additionally highlighted a range of unintended consequences. Walk-in centres were associated with worsening health inequalities, workforce pressures in existing services, and poor value for funds. Ultimately, most have since been closed or absorbed into other urgent care services."

Dr Provan cautioned it was "difficult to understand why the Scottish government is committing substantial sums of public money to duplicating services that already exist when there are more effective ways of improving patient access".

He continued: "The pilot was originally presented as a one-year pilot, yet it has now been extended until April 2029 without clear justification. The evaluation of the initial centres has not even began."

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Dr Provan argued that "it is disappointing that so much time, attention and funding continues to be devoted to GP walk-in centres rather than measures that would make a meaningful difference to patient access".

He remarked: Investment in modern IT and digital infrastructure, improved telephone and appointment booking systems, continuity of care, along-term workforce plan for general practice, and targeted backing for patients in deprived communities would be more beneficial.

"The real challenge facing general practice is not a lack of walk-incentres. It is workforce shortages, rising demand and increasing complexity of care. Those are the problems that the Scottish administration should be focused on addressing if they want to backing patient care."

Dr Iain Morrison, chair of BMA Scottish GP committee, remarked: We are dismayed by the push to set up more walk-in centres which the Scottish administration seem determined to rapidly expand in the absence of any evidence of a positive impact in Scotland, or indeed the UK.

"We have consistently highlighted that from the experience of walk-in centres used elsewhere in the UK, there is no convincing evidence they reduce pressure on GP practices, out of hours services, or emergency departments and they offer only a fraction of the range of services available through a traditional GP practice, but at a much greater financial cost."

He continued: In Scotland, the latest figures suggest low numbers of patients are using the walk-in centres which have been set up so far, with one reporting seeing just four cases a day in July.

In short, john Swinney warned rapid expansion of GP walk-in clinics risks worsening health is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.