Practices in Scotland are to get a £30 million boost to help them through the winter, it has been announced.

GP leaders welcomed the proposals, which will give practices significant flexibility about how they use the money. Funding will be available for more administrative and practice manager time as well as for locum sessions to be provided by external GPs.

The Scottish government said it hoped this would lead to more face to face sessions as well as extra GP and practice nurse sessions. Practices will also be able to use the money to organise cover for GPs and their staff to have time for reflection, learning and innovation.

Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We recognise that, as face-to-face appointments have resumed and demand is increasing, surgeries are working overtime to meet patient needs. This support package will allow practices to target investment where it is most required to sustain the high levels of care they have always provided through what is likely to be the most challenging period in the history of the NHS.”

Dr Andrew Buist, chair of the British Medical Association’s Scottish GP committee, said: “BMA Scotland has consistently sought a greater level of support for GPs and we are pleased that the Scottish Government has listened and taken this step in the face of the huge challenges of this winter and beyond. With demand continuing to outstrip capacity, this will help support practices in the coming months and plug some of the gaps caused by difficulties in recruiting to practice teams. It is particularly good GPs have flexibility to focus funding on what will make the most difference to their practice and their patients. As we look ahead to next year and the ongoing threat to the sustainability of practices, this is a welcome addition we have secured in negotiation with the Government.”