General Practice Workforce Survey

This release by Public Services Delivery Scotland provides information on numbers and vacancies of General Practitioners (GPs), Nurses and other primary care staff in Scotland on 31 March 2026. Absences and use of GP locum staff during the year ending 31 March 2026 are also reported.

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• The response rate in 2026 was 100%, an increase from 75% in 2025. This is likely due to survey completion being linked to eligibility for additional funding. As a result, figures for Non-General Practitioners are presented unweighted, while General Practitioner figures continue to be weighted using headcount data from the NPCCD.
• The GP whole time equivalent (WTE) (excluding Specialist Trainees) was 3,600.8 WTE, an increase of 0.3% from 3,591.5 WTE in 2025.
• The whole time equivalent of nurses in General Practice was 1,664.8 WTE a decrease of 4.2%.
• The total WTE in Other Direct Patient Care occupations was 478.0 WTE, 53.1% of which was Health Care Assistants.
• The total WTE in administrative and non-clinical staff was 6,798.8, 58.5% of which was receptionists.
• The GP vacancy rate was 6.2%, an increase from 3.8% at 31 March 2025.
• The nursing vacancy rate was 5.0%, an increase from 2.8% at 31 March 2025.

• The sickness absence rate for GPs was 2.2%, up from 1.8% in the year ending 31 March 2025. For other occupations the sickness absence rate was 3.1%, up from 2.2% in the year ending 31 March 2025.
• GP practices in Scotland reported using 309.3 WTE Locums, similar to last year.
• The percentage of practices using locums has risen slightly from 82.9% to 92.1%.