DOCTORS have backed plans to address the “critical” shortage of GPs in Scotland.

More than 100 GPs from across the country voted unanimously in support of the measure at a British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland conference in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.

The Scottish Local Medical Committees summit agreed that “workload in general practice is at critical level and is potentially compromising patient and clinician safety.

“Urgent action is required immediately to address this."

One option aimed at addressing the problem is launching a “concerted effort to attract GPs from the rest of the UK and from overseas”.

The decision came after Health Secretary Shona Robison addressed the conference, revealing a £72 million investment in general practice this year.

Some of the cash will be used to improve the recruitment and retention of GPs.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee hospital, which specialises in heart treatments, Robison said: “General practice is indispensable to the health service. Without strong general practice the system can’t work and that’s why we need to show that we value it.

“We are committed to reinvigorate general practice so we can attract more people into the profession, make things better for people already working there, and ensure it has a bright future.

“I recognise there are challenges but by listening to the profession and working with them, we are delivering the investment and reform to meet those challenges head-on.”

The £72m is the first stage of a promised £250m boost for general practice each year by 2021.

In September Dr Alan McDevitt, chair of the BMA’s Scottish GP committee, told Holyrood’s Health Committee about “clear evidence” of a “major problem” in recruitment.

He said: “The crisis, the shortage of GPs, is now manifest and we are working very hard to change the fundamental nature of general practice to make it attractive for both doctors to stay in and to come into as a future career.”

Following yesterday’s announcement, he said: “We are delighted to have negotiated with the Scottish Government that a substantial proportion of the additional investment into primary care will be spent in direct support of general practice.”

However, Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “This funding was announced by Nicola Sturgeon last year and is the SNP simply attempting to reverse their own cuts to the budgets of family doctors, having slashed a massive £1.6 billion in the past decade.

“The test will not just be the money spent, it will be number of new GPs recruited, GPs retained, saving local practices from closures and more auxiliary support services.”