To the Public, to our new Health Minister: GPs on the Frontline, beyond the Sore Throats
As one of the dwindling GPs in the UK, I’m incredibly proud of my work and the years of dedicated training it took to ensure people receive the best healthcare possible. However, many GPs are currently unhappy, and we must act now to prevent losing more world-class doctors.
A 2022 survey from the Royal College of General Practitioners reported:
“42% were “likely” to quit the profession within the next five years and one in ten said they expected to leave within a year.”
So, why are so many GPs considering leaving the profession or practising abroad?
Over the past decade, demand for GP services has skyrocketed. Many of us are overwhelmed, facing long working hours, fatigue, and stress.
The Health Foundation published a survey of nearly 10,000 GPs in ten countries around the world. The results: 71% of UK GPs said their job was “extremely” or “very stressful” – the UK came out on top (alongside Germany).
Despite more GP appointments taking place today than ever before, waiting times are increasing, and the demands on GPs are growing.
Recent contracts have added more medico-legal responsibilities, especially concerning Physician Associates who are involved in the diagnosis and management of patients. In practice, they are still being supervised by doctors themselves and unfortunately this adds to the already busy workload. The role is currently ill-defined, lacks organisational oversight and appropriate regulation - a wider roll-out will likely lead to higher risks to patient safety.
The crux of the matter is effective workforce recruitment and retention. Any workforce needs to feel valued and work in a positive environment to succeed and the stressors have long been identified.
I call on the government and Wes Streeting, our new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to take action now.
As a patient, are you frustrated by not seeing the same GP? Do you feel the continuity of care is slipping away? And we, as GPs, are just as dissatisfied and disheartened.
A snapshot of my recent work:
Diagnosed a rare neurological disease from an MRI for an atypical headache in a teenager.
Restructured medication for a pregnant, epileptic patient at risk of psychosis.
Diagnosed hepatitis C in an adult, with an unknown family history, from a routine NHS health check and facilitated specialist care.
Managed an acute asthma attack, avoiding an A&E admission.
Supported a family in dealing with a dementia diagnosis and coordinated multidisciplinary care.
Assisted a patient through a traumatic divorce, helping them move forward constructively.
Built a strong rapport with a patient who had suffered a traumatic head injury. I saw him regularly and recently advocated for his driving licence to be reassessed after a year of neuro-rehabilitation.
Being on the frontline of healthcare involves dealing with sore throats and much more. It is a challenging field that encompasses biological, psychological, and social complexities.
The public deserves the very best doctors and that can only happen when working in the very best conditions.
Let me end on this quote from the BMA:
“We cannot care for our patients if we do not care for ourselves and our colleagues.”
This article has been edited for clarity, readability, and accessibility by InflamMed's editorial team.
More
Hear more from the frontline in our upcoming Invisible Insights podcast with Dr Hannah Coysh, a GP based in Yorkshire, who has set up a service that specifically helps doctors manage pregnancy loss. We cover holistic healthcare, the importance of validation, connection and much more.
 | A guest post by
|