Dozens of practices in Scotland are closed to new registrations – while others limit patient enrolments, it has been reported.

In total 87 practices in the country have closed or restricted lists, the Sunday Post newspaper reported.

It found that some practices have special registration days when patients are admitted to lists on a first come first served basis.

The problems afflict about half the country’s health boards and almost 10% of practices, it found.

The Royal College of GPs said that nine of the ten practices in Shetland are already run by the health board.

The college’s Scottish GP chair Dr Miles Mack said: “The state of the general practice service in Scotland is the worst it has been for at least a generation.

“Patients’ GP services have been the target of disinvestment for over a decade, falling from 9.8% of NHS Scotland’s spending in 2005/06 to just 7.2% in 2015/16, the last year we have figures for.

“As a result, we see vacancies in the most desirable places to work, such as Edinburgh, where previously the competition for GP jobs was so high that years of locum service in the area was required before a GP was considered.

“The domino effect of partners leaving or of practices closing is severe, often leaving patient services and patient safety in a tenuous position.”

The chair of the British Medical Association’s Scottish GP committee Dr Alan McDevitt said: “This highlights the extent to which workload and problems recruiting GPs are affecting practices and jeopardising their ability to provide safe care for their patients.”