Is there already research evidence on the effectiveness of ‘Walk-in GP centres’? Has the SNP policy even been designed to take advantage of those findings?

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As you might expect, Dr John Tobias who, on his cv, claims that during COP26 in Glasgow he was chosen to be a personal physician to Heads of State, did not hesitate to rule on the new SNP walk-in GP centres as failures before they can even begin.

You can just hear him – ‘I don’t need researchers to tell me what to think! I know…..’

There is, however, research, lots of it, and I feel the need to review it before I go telling anyone else even what I think.

It is mixed. Some studies find no meaningful impact on overall GP demand or waiting times1 and there is, overall, Insufficient high-quality evidence.2

However, there are also studies finding a reduction in emergency department (ED) visits and cost savings3, and high patient satisfaction and access.4

So, how do we, educated folk all of us, react to the above? Decide they’re a waste of time or, maybe, think we could try them in Scotland and evaluate them later? Hey’ that’s the SNP plan!

We could also, if we trusted the SNP Government, even a wee bit, to have looked at this research above and asked the project leaders:

Is there anything in the design of the new Scottish centres that might counter the negative consequences observed in earlier UK projects?

I asked Grok AI:

Yes, several design elements in the new Scottish walk-in GP centres appear intended to address or mitigate some of the negative outcomes seen in earlier English models, such as fragmented care, low utilization relative to needs, negligible systemic impact, and staffing challenges. These centres are part of a one-year pilot, which itself allows for structured evaluation and adjustments—unlike many past initiatives that lacked robust ongoing assessment. 5, 6

Grok AI had a lot more to say, to evidence the above and to consider negatives too. I’ll leave you to ask your own AI the same question.

Sources:

  1. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3d5e950ego
  2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1314495
  3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7955766
  4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1472-6963-13-142
  5. https://www.gponline.com/scottish-government-considering-every-possible-option-boost-gp-premises/article/1941417
  6. https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=93853

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11 thoughts on “Is there already research evidence on the effectiveness of ‘Walk-in GP centres’? Has the SNP policy even been designed to take advantage of those findings?”

  2. I wonder how many of the following recent Scottish Government commitments/investments in General Practice have been conveyed to voters in Scotland by the mainstream media that supposedly serve our polity?

    Scottish Government press statement 29 November 2024: ‘Additional investment in general practice – Funding to help practices retain and recruit key staff’.

    ‘An additional £13.6 million will be invested in General Practice this financial year to support GPs to retain and recruit key staff, Health Secretary Neil Gray has announced. Speaking at the annual conference of BMA Scotland’s Local Medical Committees, Mr Gray confirmed the immediate funding for 2024-25 will address known financial pressures, support staff costs and enable GPs to take on partners and salaried GP staff.’

    Press statement 21 August 2025: ‘£15 million funding increase for General Practice – New investment to ease workforce pressures.’

    ‘General Practice will receive an initial additional investment of £15 million this year to ease recruitment pressures and boost capacity. The new investment will support workforce retention and recruitment, build service capacity and support the day to day running of GP services. The funding comes after discussions with the sector about the sustainability of GP services – negotiations will continue around further support to help shift care from acute to community.’ And: ‘We have already increased investment in general practice by over £100 million in the last two years to meet recommended pay increases and to support practices with sustainability.’

    Press statement 28 October 2025: ‘£531 million investment in General Practice – Funding will improve access to services and support recruitment’.

    ‘General Practice will receive additional funding of more than half a billion pounds over the next three years to support recruitment – the largest investment in core GP services to date in Scotland. The announcement, subject to Parliament agreeing future budgets, comes following agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) over new additional funding which builds to a recurring £249 million in three years’ time. The funding will help boost staff numbers and capacity, support day-to-day operations and make it easier for people to access GP services. This newly agreed additional funding takes additional new investment for General Practice to £531 million.’

    Worth emphasising this in the same statement: ‘Dr Iain Morrison, Chair of BMA Scotland’s GP Committee said: “For some time, we have been clear that the only way to put General Practice in Scotland on a sustainable footing for the future and to improve access for patients was direct investment into practices to recruit and retain GPs.

    “Today’s announcement, secured after a robust but constructive set of negotiations is welcome recognition of that fact and reflects the level of funding needed to stabilise and rebuild General Practice across Scotland in both urban and rural areas.

    “It is a significant step in the right direction, and importantly is a vote of confidence in the long-term future of the independent contractor model of general practice that has served local communities across Scotland so well.

    “This investment should finally enable the profession to feel optimistic about the future and provides the opportunity to make working in General Practice in Scotland the rewarding, safe and sustainable career it should be once again.”

    Press statement 4 November 2025: ‘Increase in access to GP care – New data shows 2.4 million rise in patient-GP surgery contact.’

    ‘Statistics released by Public Health Scotland today, show patients in Scotland had 33.98 million direct encounters with staff in General Practice between October 2024 and September 2025 – an increase of 2.4 million on the same 12-month period in 2023-24.

    ‘GP numbers have increased in Scotland and to make it easier for people to access GP services and support recruitment, the Scottish Government is investing an additional £531 million of newly agreed funding in General Practice over the next three years, subject to Parliament agreeing future budgets.’

    All the above announced before the following on the walk-in GP services pilot:

    15 January 2026: ‘£36 million to expand walk-in GP services – Investment will improve same-day access to urgent care’

    24 February 2026: ‘Delivering new GP walk-in clinics – Total number of planned sites rises to 16’.

    ‘Background: GP walk-ins will complement traditional General Practices and urgent care – bridging the gap between the two – to offer patients the opportunity to be assessed at clinics led by GPs and staffed by highly-skilled, multidisciplinary teams. Depending on clinical need, patients may see a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner or another health professional.

    ‘This pilot scheme, which will be subject to full evaluation, is on top of a landmark £531 million investment in primary care which will see GP numbers increased across Scotland. During the pilot phase, the service is available to patients registered with local GP practices within the catchment of the identified sites.’

    So the funding for this GP services pilot is on top of the £531m investment which on 28 October, 2025 the Chair of BMA Scotland stated: “This investment should finally enable the profession to feel optimistic about the future and provides the opportunity to make working in General Practice in Scotland the rewarding, safe and sustainable career it should be once again.”

    Has BBC Scotland, STV, Daily Record, The Herald, The Scotsman etc. been diligent in ensuring voters have all this information? Anyone?

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  3. John, on returning to New Zealand for the third time shortly after the pandemic I found that GP practices had stopped seeing anyone that wasn’t registered.

    However, I had a first hand experience of a 24hr walk in centre as unfortunately I caught covid whilst out their and needed an antibiotic to help clear up the after effects. The service was excellent.

    Might be noted that the NZ NHS has a reciprocal agreement with our NHS and you don’t have to pay for treatment, you only pay for prescriptions.

    I’ve no idea if ScotGov looked at the NZ model but it works perfectly.

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  4. O/T apologies

    Greens win Gordon & Denton By-election

    Kate Ferguson so called ‘political’ Editor at The Sun on Sunday posted this on ‘X’ yesterday:

    “Zack Polanski overheard speaking loudly on his phone on a train saying he is not confident The Greens will win in today’s byelection, source tells me”.

    Today I read this online from someone in response to that (bogus) post by her:

    “EXCL: Keir Starmer overheard weeping loudly on his phone in Downing Street, source tells me”.

    The media yesterday were determined to try to stop the Greens winning that By-election……..indeed the BBC HQ had a Reform UK Party Political Broadcast at 6.55pm last night….when voters in that By-election, would in effect, still be able to cast their votes up to 10pm.

    Last night , pre the announcement of the result, SKY News had a political panel that included the defected Tory Nadim Zahawi , who is now Reform UK, and also later on their news presenter Jonathan Samuels and their Deputy political Editor, Sam Coates, ambushed the Green party Peer Natalie Bennett………indeed it was a disgrace how they both attacked her in what was a most hostile confrontation….to both Samuels and Coates discredit.

    It was very uncomfortable viewing……and they were not unique as GB News was fun to watch last night, especially when rumours suggested that the Greens may have indeed taken that seat in that By-election………

    “Family Voting”…they screamed….even highlighting the dirty tricks of Labour and also they said the Green party……….but apparently no dirty tricks were noted from Reform UK in that By-election.

    GB News should now be called Reform UK News.

    What in the name of the we man is Family voting ?

    I have never heard of it before in any election in the UK !

    Today ITV’s Good Morning Britain interviewed Zach Polanski….one of the presenters used the fake terminology of “‘illegal’ immigrants coming here in boats “.

    IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO COME TO THE UK IN A BOAT TO SEEK ASYLUM AS YOU CAN ONLY BE CONSIDERED ILLEGAL IF YOU DO NOT SEEK ASYLUM AFTER YOU LAND IN THE UK IN THAT BOAT.

    Tactical and fake Media terminology in respect to immigrants aka refugees / asylum seekers , (basically they , the media, are just copying Reform UK’s false terminology) , a media that today are mostly now trying to delegitimise the win for the Green party in that By-election last night in England.

    Also today we have the ‘bad losers’ that are Reform UK.

    (When it was announced at the count that Hannah Spencer had indeed won…that Reform UK candidate, as in the bad loser Matt Goodwin, also a GB News presenter , was the only other candidate who did not clap her win….ungracious and pathetic man baby that he is).

    Farage posted this today as his ‘official’ and so typical response to the Green’s win.

    “This election was a victory for sectarian voting and cheating. Matt Goodwin was a great candidate for us. Roll on the elections on May 7th. It will be goodbye Starmer and goodbye to the Tory party”

    (Could also be goodbye to Reform UK as well, frog face).

    What about the fake ‘pensioner’ letter that came from Reform UK to all of the constituents in that area , asking them to vote for Reform UK…as they, as a supposed pensioner in that area, was going to vote Reform UK in that By-election ?

    Seems to be that Farage is indeed adopting a full Trumpian attitude in elections , where if his party loses then it is apparently because of cheating , but when his party wins, it’s then a decisive democratic vote by the people for his party.…………

    The media do not like that the Green party won last night………they wanted Reform UK to win………..

    Why is this important to Scotland you ask ?

    Well firstly this is exactly how the media react and so treat any potential win and any actual win by the SNP in Scotland.………..it also proves that you can indeed stop Reform UK by voting tactically but also you can stop Labour too………..and so then give the SNP a decisive win in Scotland in future elections.

    Too many , within the BritNat establishment , as in both the media and politicians, are today trying to delegitimise this win by the Green party last night…..as they will all , as opponents, also try to do their best to stop the SNP winning in May in Scotland………and if the SNP do win then they will also diss or challenge that result also.

    In England it is , via the media…a case of….. ‘Anybody but the Green party’

    In Scotland it always is, via the media…a case of ‘Anybody but the SNP’.

    Fortunately via democracy it is the people who decide and so who then vote and not the media.…

    They, the UK media, may try to influence voters in them not reflecting in all of their newspapers and their political broadcasting how certain sections of the voters want to vote, and so then intend to vote , like say those of us who support the SNP and independence.

    However last night did show that, as a political party, your having big (wealthy) political donors does not then always equate to a win in any and all elections…….as certain political parties may think that democracy is for sale, but on the day (of the election) it it up to the voters to prove that their votes cannot be bought by those parties whose political donors have the biggest pockets.

    Keir Starmer …..you are not gloating now…..are you ?

    Also once again (remember the Caerphilly Welsh By-election that Plaid Cymru won) Reform UK have ended up as the Bridesmaid and not the Bride………as you do not get a parliamentary seat in WM by coming second.

    Liz S

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      1. Ha Ha

        *What in the name of the we man is Family voting ?

        What in the name of the wee man is Family voting ?

        Predictive text disnae ken Scots words….obviously…..as it cut my “wee” off and made it intae a “we”………….Ha Ha.

        Liz S

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  5. Pingback: Will the new Walk-in GP centres work? One minute video – Talking-up Scotland

    1. Ha Ha………

      BTW here’s another great response from Zach Polanski today….that is, as a response, one that is also very pertinent to the BBC here in Scotland and their constant bad habit in them repeating the political attacks from the opposition parties against the SNP.

      Polanski was asked by SKY news about Farage’s allegations of cheating at the Polling stations yesterday in the by-election and he, Polanski , said this:

      “Once again Reform are spreading misinformation & smears, and the press & the media seem to repeat them.. its really important that the media.. take responsibility so when Reform or Farage says something they don’t just keep repeating it”.

      So “its really important that the media.. take responsibility so when Reform or Farage says something they don’t just keep repeating it”………

      A bit like the BBC in Scotland on their website, their Radio programmes, including their radio phone ins , Scotcast and also BBC Reporting Scotland…..is it not ?

      Where they, the BBC, also simply “repeat” misinformation & smears sourced from opposition parties.……without checking first on their accuracy, prior to them publishing or publicly broadcasting .

      So really individual SNP politicians should also say the exact same thing as Zach said (if and when they are ever given a chance to)….

      To the BBC and all other UK news and political programmes…….more so when it is usually so obvious that they , the BBC (and others), are only repeating what an opposition politician has said about the SNP , as a party , or as the Scottish government.

      I am now shutting down as a machine Ha Ha……well for today that is….unless something else comes up or goes down today……..Ha Ha

      Liz S

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