Medical specialty training and transition to the GP workforce

This is the first release of statistics on postgraduate medical training in Scotland by NHS Education for Scotland. This includes the number of doctors starting and completing General Practice (GP) specialty training programme in each year, the transition probability between the start of specialty training and completion, and between completion of specialty training and participation in the GP workforce. The publication also includes the number of doctors participating in the GP workforce together with the inflows and outflows of GPs that determine this number.

The trained GP workforce in this publication includes those working in substantive roles (performer, performer salaried and performer retainee) in a general practice in Scotland. GPs working only in the Out of Hours service or only in locum roles are not included.

These are released as Official Statistics in Development (OSID). A development plan outlines the content of the statistics and the rationale for producing them, the timing of releases, and the expected users of the statistics.

• There were 385 doctors who started year one GP specialty training in 2025. 
  
  
• Around 40% of doctors completed GP specialty training in the minimum duration of three years.
  
  
• There were 276 doctors who completed GP specialty training in 2025. This includes 41 doctors who are predicted to complete between the data extract date and the end of the year.
  
  
• Around two thirds of specialty registrars entered the GP workforce two years after completing training in Scotland. This does not account for specialty registrars who are working only as locums or in the out of hours service.
  
  
• There were 4,625 GPs (excluding specialty registrars) on 30 September 2025. Over the last year, 220 specialty registrars joined the GP workforce, 71 GPs returned, and 69 GPs joined from other sources, and 228 GPs left.