Scotland's information watchdog has ordered the release of hidden details of Angus Robertson’s meeting with an Israeli diplomat after a lengthy freedom of information battle.
The performance of Scotland’s health system has been repeatedly referenced during the 2026 election campaign.
While opposition parties have criticised the NHS in recent weeks and months, the SNP has defended its record.
In a campaign leaflet sent to households across the country, John Swinney claimed that GP numbers had reached record levels thanks to the SNP government.
"We have a record number of GPs” - John Swinney
Ferret Fact Service looked at this claim and found it Half True.
Evidence
GP numbers in Scotland are usually measured in two ways. There’s the total number, and the full time equivalent (FTE) number. This second gauge gives a more complete picture of staffing levels for GPs, because it accounts for the proportion who work part-time, due to parenting and other responsibilities.
Attempts to increase GP levels through healthcare policies has been one of the defining aimsof the SNP’s time in government. In 2007, The SNP-led Scottish Government made a commitment to increase GP numbers in 2017, pledging to add 800 over the next decade. At that point, there were about 4,385 GPs in Scotland.
According to the latest provisional statistics from NHS’s General Practice (GP) workforce survey, there were 4,625 GPs on 30 September, 2025. This is an increase from the previous year of 132. It’s also the highest number by headcount since comparable records began. This figure does not include trainees.
The FTE statistics give a slightly different picture. The latest figures show 3,657.1 FTE GPs in Scotland. This is an increase of 131 compared to the previous year, but it's lower than previous years. In 2013, the FTE number of GPs was 3,675.1. There were also more than 3,600 FTE GPs in 2015 and 2019.
GP numbers stayed fairly static between 2013 and 2024, when they began to slightly increase. FTE numbers decreased between 2013 and 2024. While they have increased in recent years, they have yet to reach the level they reached 13 years ago.
The size of the patient list of each GP has also increased since 2015, when there were 1,562 listed patients per GP. In 2025, this was at 1655.
Since 2017, when the Scottish Government pledged to increase GP levels by 800 in ten years, there have been about 300 more added by headcount.
Ferret Fact Service verdict: Half True
The SNP’s claim there are a record number of GPs in Scotland depends on which measure is used. Looking at headcount, the actual number of GPs working is the highest total since comparable statistics began. But the full time equivalent number, which shows the amount of GP resource there is available to cover required shifts, reveals that the level of GPs is lower than it was in 2013.
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Alastair leads our fact-checking arm, The Ferret Fact Service, and writes about disinformation and conspiracy theories. He also delivers training on media literacy and spotting disinformation. He spends his free time at gigs in basements.
Karin Goodwin
