SCOTTISH Labour leader Kezia Dugdale looked to a fitter future when she visited a GP surgery in Glasgow.

The party launched “Fit for the Future,” a major consultation on the future of general practice in Scotland at Shields Health Centre.

The consultation will see Labour contact Scottish GPs asking for their opinions on a range of ideas including:

* Training more GPs

* Cutting down red tape for substitute GPs.

*Ensure practices notify Health Boards on unfilled posts.

Commenting on the launch of the consultation, Ms Dugdale said: “When I put together my new team I said I wanted to face the country with a positive vision, rather than just face off with the SNP in parliament.

"In Scotland our public services face challenges and nowhere can that be clearer than in our health service.

“Today Labour is talking about better plans and better ideas, and we are putting them to the people who matter – family doctors themselves.

"We think our plans can make a real difference to general practice in Scotland, and benefit patients across the country.”

“We’ve seen a range of problems right across our NHS but getting primary care right will take the pressure off of our A&E wards, our hospitals and a range of other services.

"Our plans could make a real difference and that’s why we are putting them to Scotland’s doctors today and asking for their support, and their opinions.”

Public Services spokesman Dr Richard Simpson, a former GP with more than 30 years’ experience said: “The nationalist Government in Edinburgh has made a complete and utter mess of general practice in Scotland.

"It was their decision to drop the share of funding for general practice in Scotland by over £1 billion and their decision to cut funding for medical students.

"The result has been understaffed, overstretched practices with patients’ not receiving timely care.

“However if we act now we can fix these problems. Scottish Labour are taking ideas to the Scottish medical community. It is then a matter for the SNP Government if they want to look at Scottish Labour’s positive plans, or simply continue to sit on their hands.”