Patients across Scotland will soon be able to access same‑day, GP‑led care without an appointment, as the First Minister opens the country’s first clinic in a new nationwide network of walk‑in services.
The first service, located at the Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre, marks the launch of a major Scottish Government initiative aimed at making urgent primary care easier to access while reducing pressure on GP practices and hospital emergency departments.
The new walk‑in clinics will allow patients to receive timely medical attention for urgent, non‑emergency conditions without needing to book ahead. The model is designed to:
- Improve access to same‑day appointments
- Reduce the number of people attending overstretched GP surgeries
- Alleviate pressure on A&E services
- Support earlier treatment and reduce avoidable hospital admissions
Clinics will be GP‑led, offering expert assessment and treatment as part of an integrated community health service.
The Scottish Government is investing £36 million in the pilot programme, which will establish a further 14 walk‑in services across the country. The pilot will test how same‑day, no‑appointment care can be delivered effectively and at scale within Scottish primary care, with learning from the clinics used to inform future health service planning.
John Swinney, Scottish First Minister, said:
“I know how important access to urgent medical care is for people, and how important it is for people to get the right care, in the right place at the right time.
“Our network of walk-in GP-led services will ensure people get the care they need at a time that works for them – and opening this first clinic is a major milestone as we continue to deliver trusted leadership for our health service.
“Open seven days per week from 12pm-8pm, these walk-in clinics will deliver over one million additional GP and nurse appointments, making it easier than ever for people to access urgent care when they need it most.
“With GP numbers up, long waits down, record numbers of hip and knee operations and 15 new walk-in GP clinics opening in Scotland, it is clear we are making progress in our NHS – and I am determined that we will continue to drive forward improvements.”
The new walk‑in services are part of a broader push to strengthen primary care by:
- Offering more flexible access routes for patients
- Reducing demand on traditional GP appointment books
- Ensuring patients see the right clinician at the right time
- Freeing up GP practices to focus on complex and ongoing health needs
Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre will act as the first test site for the model, demonstrating how walk‑in GP care can be embedded within existing community health settings.
The Scottish Government expects the network to evolve based on local need, ensuring services are placed where demand is highest and where they can deliver the greatest benefit for patients.
The rollout of GP‑led walk‑in clinics reflects ongoing national efforts to modernise primary care delivery, reduce waiting times and rebalance demand between community and hospital services.
If successful, the pilot could pave the way for a more flexible and accessible model of urgent care across Scotland.
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