General Practice Nurse education in Scotland - now and in the future

General practice is changing in Scotland with a new GP contract transforming how health care will be delivered in the future. These changes and developments are supportive of general practice nurses (GPNs) enabling their transformation into a new role of expert nursing generalists. GPNs are core members of the primary care team and are therefore fundamental to the future of General Practice. With over half of all GPNs in Scotland being over the age of 50 years or over the profession faces challenges to sustain the workforce. In consideration of this, the Scottish Government and NHS Education for Scotland have considered these challenges and are supporting GPNs with significant investment and a clear vision to support recruitment and retention of a highly skilled GPN workforce for the future.