The Government’s figures refer to the number of GPs hired through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). The headcount figure also represents the total number of GPs recruited under ARRS over the entire period, so it counts some who are not currently employed under the scheme. Figuring out the total number of working GPs can get complicated, because of the way the data is collected and reported. Comparing the dangers of sunbeds and smoking is not easy to do precisely. In broad terms, however, there are good reasons to think that smoking is much more dangerous than using sunbeds.

Source: The Herald February 13, 2026 17:35 UTC