THE SCOTTISH government is “setting up GP practices to fail” with patient to doctor ratios “spiralling out of control,” Labour warned today.

Numbers of GPs across Scotland have continued to fall, despite an SNP pledge in 2017 to boost numbers by 800 in a decade.

And now, Scottish Labour says workforce data points to the consequences of that fall — a 15 per cent rise in the number of patients per GP growing from 1,515 in 2013 to 1,743 today.

The figures come just weeks after the BMA Scottish general practitioners’ committee chair Dr Iain Morrison warned that the percentage of NHS Scotland spend on the service would need to rise to 15 per cent to meet the government’s one per 1,000 ambition.

However, it had in fact fallen from 11 per cent in 2004, to just 6.5 per cent this year.

Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said: “When GPs themselves are leaving the profession, it’s no wonder patients are struggling to get appointments.

“GPs play an essential part in early interventions, public health and they are the first port of call for the majority of patients.

“They take pressure off hospitals, so this fall in staffing should alarm everybody.

“With patient to doctor ratios spiralling out of control, the SNP are setting up GP practices to fail.

“Investing in recruitment and retention now will not only keep GP numbers up but save the taxpayer expensive locum fees.

“The UK Labour government delivered a record £5.2 billion of additional funding to Scotland but it’s up to the SNP to ensure it reaches frontline services and primary healthcare.”

The Scottish government was contacted for comment.