£9.34m to upgrade GP premises and IT systems in Scotland

GP practices in Scotland will receive more than £9 million of new funding to upgrade their premises and IT systems, supporting better services for local communities.

The Scottish Government says that the funding will facilitate improvements to GP practices and enhancements to make the best use of existing space. It will also improve internet connectivity and support the deployment of Attend Anywhere - an online virtual clinic that patients can link into wherever they are.

Part of the £9.34 million will be split to provide: £5.14 million to fund digitisation of GP paper records and improvements to GP premises; and £4.2 million to support implementation of Primary Care Improvement Plans (PCIPs) and improvements to GP IT, and improve practices’ internet connectivity.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This is a substantial investment by the Scottish Government which will support GPs, the wider primary care workforce and the communities they serve. The upgrades to premises and IT systems will see continued improvements to the delivery of high quality patient care, including the continued deployment of Attend Anywhere in our remote and rural areas.

“This investment is part of a wider commitment to increase general practice funding by £250 million by 2021 as part of an extra investment of £500 million per year for primary care funding. This funding together with our wider reform programme will mean additional staff working in primary care, providing better services for patients and allowing them to see the right person at the right time.”