GPs say National Insurance rise could close Highland practices

Doctors in the Highlands fear increased National Insurance (NI) costs could close some practices, a senior Scottish figure in the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget last week payments from employers - including medical practices - would go up next April.

Dr Al Miles, deputy chairman of the BMA's Scottish GPs committee, said Highland doctors had contacted him worried about thousands of pounds of increased costs.

The UK government said it had taken "tough decisions" in the Budget to provide more money for the NHS and social care.

The NHS is exempt from the increase, but GP practices are not because they are classed as independent contractors.

Grantown-on-Spey-based Dr Miles said because 95% of GPs' business came from the NHS it meant they also did not qualify for other types of tax relief.

He added that the sector had already endured 15 years of being under resourced.

Dr Miles said: "Some GPs are talking about this being the final nail in the coffin of their practice.

"For any practice that is marginal this could force them to close.

"If it doesn't it will certainly make it harder to recruit doctors to general practice."

Dr Miles said it was expensive for the NHS to step in and take over struggling practices, and he called on the UK government to ease financial burdens on GPs.

He said the situation affected practices across the UK.

A UK government spokesperson said the Budget would give the NHS and social care a £22bn boost.

They added: "The employer national insurance rise doesn’t kick in until April, and we will set out further details on allocation of funding for next year in due course."

Scotland's Finance Secretary Shona Robinson has called on the UK government to urgently address "growing confusion and alarm" caused by the planned increase.