Twelve new sites – from Stranraer to Shetland - have been confirmed, building on the opening of the first walk-in centre in Edinburgh on 11 February.

A walk-in service in Lochee in Dundee will open in March, available seven days a week from 12pm-8pm, with no appointment necessary. Benbecula will also welcome walk-in patients from next month, seven days a week, 9am to 5.30pm, to complement the island's existing out of hours provision which operates until 8pm and beyond. 

Additional sites in Shetland, Stranraer and Hawick will open in April and further centres, as part of the GP walk-in pilot, are scheduled to open later this year. A second stage of the roll-out will see the development of three further sites in premises on the high street or former retail sites in East Ayrshire, Clydesdale, and Central Fife.

Swinney said: ‘With centres open 12-8pm, seven days a week, and based in easily accessible locations in our communities across the country, this is part of a package addressing the 8am rush that has frustrated so many of us - easing capacity pressures on family doctors. 

‘By establishing a series of walk-in clinics we can ensure people are seen by a clinician at a time that works for them. Our programme will help us deliver over one million additional GP and nurse appointments.

‘This complements our £531m landmark investment in core General Practice. With GP numbers up, long waits down and new walk-in GP clinics being tested across Scotland, it is clear we are making real progress in our NHS and I am determined to continue driving forward improvements.'