Scotland is a great country to make a career in medicine with many opportunities for varied and fulfilling work.
There is a wide variety of Practice settings, in cities, towns, villages and some of the most unspoilt rural areas in Europe. You’ll have a great deal of choice and autonomy in the kind of work and working life you want to pursue, with lower list sizes and competitive remuneration. There are salaried posts, partnerships, locums and retainer posts, trainer and trainee posts and posts that support different research interests.
Our Vision
We recognise that GPs are looking for careers as diverse as our communities across Scotland – urban, rural, tackling inequalities, working across in and out of hours and developing extended skills as an Expert Medical Generalist. From the first 5 years to the last 5 years, Scotland can offer portfolio careers which offer challenge and fulfilment. You might take a salaried GP post, working for one of the fourteen NHS Boards or become a partner in one of around 900 independent Practices.
Multi-disciplinary teams
GPs in Scotland work as part of a multi-disciplinary team who all support patient care. You’ll have professional relationships with nurses, midwives, health visitors, pharmacists, physician associates, psychiatrists, care of the elderly specialists, social services and secondary care hospital services. And of course your GP colleagues, both in your Practice, practice Cluster and the wider GP community.
Expanding the Primary Care Workforce
We need an expanded clinical and administrative workforce to support more care in local communities and this is being supported by a significant programme of national investment. The 2018 GMS Contract refocused the role of GPs as Expert Medical Generalists (EMGs). As EMGs, GPs ensure strong connections to, and coordination with, the enhanced primary care team, health and social care community based services and with acute services working across multiple interfaces to plan and deliver care.
Quality Clusters
GP clusters were introduced in Scotland with the new GMS contract . GP clusters are a professional grouping of Practice Quality Leads (one per practice), who work to improve the quality of health and social care services for locally registered patients in line with population need.
Realistic Medicine
NHS Scotland is committed to the Chief Medical Officer’s vision of ‘Realistic Medicine’; putting the person receiving health and care at the centre of decision-making with a personalised approach to care. It aims to reduce harm and waste, tackle unwarranted variation in care, manage clinical risk, and innovate to improve. By 2025, all health care professionals will deliver care aligned to these vital principles, so we must
Scotland will see you now!
Primary Care in Scotland is changing and we want you to be a part of it.
Registration
To work as a GP in Scotland you’ll need to be registered and licensed by the General Medical Council (GMC).
There are different ways to apply for registration with a license to practise in the UK. It all depends on your nationality, qualifications and experience.
The GMC help to protect patients and improve medical education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and doctors. We support them in achieving and exceeding those standards, and take action when they are not met.
More work in Scotland
The below links will provide you with more information on vacancies, training and further resources.