GP surgeries across Greater Glasgow and Clyde are “falling apart”, Jackie Baillie has warned, as an £18million bill reveals a soaring maintenance backlog in the region.

The current maintenance backlog in GP surgeries across Scotland has hit an eye-watering £78.5million with the NHSGGC bill making up more than a fifth of this figure.

This sky-high bill only includes buildings owned or leased by Health Boards and not those owned by individual GP practices, meaning the true scale of the problem is even greater.

The cost locally rose by almost £850,000 between 2021/22 and 2022/23.

The Dumbarton constituency MSP warned that this backlog was a sign of the pressure General Practice in Scotland is under as a result of SNP neglect.

Jackie Baillie said: “After years of neglect, GP services are at breaking point – and now even the buildings across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including in Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven are falling apart.

“The sorry state of these crumbling buildings is a symbol of the damage the SNP has inflicted on General Practice. With Dumbarton Health Centre in particular, we need to seize the opportunity to secure a move from the current site to a town centre location in line with a huge overhaul of the Artizan Centre. We need support from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Scottish Government to facilitate this.

“This spiralling backlog needs urgent action so patients and staff can count on safe, modern surgeries.”