85 additional places have been opened up for medical students wishing to specialise as GPs. The places are funded by the Scottish Government who have also announced that a new route for experienced healthcare professionals to enter medicine will also be introduced.

The GP training places will be available at the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Shona Robison, Health Secretary in the Scottish Government said:

“The innovative proposals from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow universities will see 85 new places to specifically promote general practice as a long-term career for young doctors, and allow experienced healthcare professionals who may be interested in becoming doctors to enter medicine.

“The courses will include more involvement of GPs in teaching and assessment and enhanced GP placements in deprived and rural settings.

“While our new GP contract will make general practice a more attractive career by cutting workloads and giving doctors more time with patients, these new medical places are a further step we are taking to train and retain more family doctors in Scotland.”

60 of the additional places will begin in 2019-20 with 25 places beginning  in 2020-21