TRAINEE GPs will be handed 'golden hello' payments of £20,000 if they agree to work in some of the most remote or deprived parts of Scotland.

In a bid to solve a growing family doctor recruitment crisis which is particularly acute in isolated areas and urban locations with high deprivation levels, bursaries will be paid by the NHS as a one-off lump sum to junior doctors in addition to a salary of £31,000.

The new pilot scheme will see 37 trainee GPs who agree to placements in unpopular areas, including parts of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Argyll and Bute, receive the cash on the understanding that they stay there for three years while they work towards becoming fully qualified. It is hoped that many will then decide to stay on permanently after learning of the areas' "hidden attractions" even if they were initially lured by only the bonus.

The move, which follows a similar scheme in England, was welcomed by doctors. However, it was warned that the initiative would not prove a "silver bullet" in tackling underlying issues facing primary care, with some doctors believing a greater test of the SNP's commitment to general practice would be its upcoming budget with many hoping for a significant boost in spending in the area.

Last year, Nicola Sturgeon announced that 100 new training places would be made available for GPs, bringing the total this year to 439. Doubts were raised over whether the higher number of places would be taken, after the NHS failed the fill the slots it had in the previous year and doctors repeatedly voiced concerns over rising workloads and insufficient funding.

However, the Government hopes that the £20,000 incentive offer alongside the abolition of a bureaucratic payments system and promises of more investment in general practice will make a career as a family doctor more appealing, with a new recruitment drive underway.

Shona Robison, the health secretary, said: "We know there are some parts of the country that have challenges recruiting – mainly because of their geographical location. So we’re offering a financial incentive with certain posts to fill these vital training places.

"We are also investing in the future of the profession - developing new ways of working with multi-disciplinary teams and refocusing the role of the GP as the expert medical generalist within our community health service. "

Among the 37 "bursary-eligible" training posts are roles in Aberdeen, Inverness, Lochgilphead, Fort William, Dundee and Perth. Also qualifying for the £20,000 payment are roles in Ayr, Kilmarnock, Wishaw, Monklands, Leven, Hamilton, Oban, Greenock and Helensburgh.

The cash will be eligible for tax, although the NHS has advised those applying for the bursary to "seek independent advice on tax implications based on their individual circumstances." If the doctor quits before the three year period, they will be expected to repay a proportion of the £20,000.

Dr Alan McDevitt, the chair of BMA Scotland’s GP Committee, said there had been "real challenges" in filling GP training places across Scotland, particularly in remote and rural areas.

He added: "Trainee places that go unfilled have a knock-on effect on GP recruitment and retention, with insufficient GPs coming through to fill gaps in general practice. A recent BMA survey found that 28 per cent of practices in Scotland had at least one GP vacancy.

"While it is positive that more is to be done to fill some of these trainee places in areas that have been particularly difficult to recruit into, there also needs to be broader action to ensure that we are training enough GPs to meet the needs of Scotland’s population and the growing demands that general practice is facing."

Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Liberal Democrat MSP, said: "Any move to increase the number of doctors who choose to train as GPs is welcome but this scheme is no silver bullet. This has the potential to make a difference for more rural areas where there are particular recruitment challenges. But make no mistake, further action is required if we are to get to grips with Scotland’s GP crisis. We need a long term solution to this problem."