General practice is a team profession, says RCGP

The RCGP has responded to a recent article in The Times about the latest NHS Digital data detailing the number of consultations delivered by GPs

Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “General practice is a team profession. Sometimes a GP is not the most appropriate healthcare professional for a patient’s health needs and we work with highly skilled nurses, pharmacists, physios, mental health therapists, and increasingly link workers, to ensure patients get the best care for them. Working within multi-disciplinary teams also frees up GPs’ time to see patients who really need their medical expertise, particularly those with complex health needs.

“However, the whole of general practice is stretched beyond endurance right now. GPs and our teams are working under intense workload and workforce pressures, that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. We need to see the government make good on its promise of 6,000 more GPs and 26,000 more members of the practice team – as well as introducing measures to tackle ‘undoable’ workload in general practice, so that patients can get the care they need.”