GPs in certain parts of the UK are under more pressure than others

Responding to research from the Nuffield Trust, covered by the BBC today, on regional variation in GP-patient ratios, Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the RCGP, said the following

“The size of the fully-qualified GP workforce is falling whilst the number of patients continues to grow – as a result, the ratio of patients to GPs has increased significantly over recent years. Whilst this is happening across the country, some regions are being affected worse than others as they face greater difficulties recruiting new GPs and other staff. 

“GPs and our teams are making more patient consultations every month than they were in the same months pre-pandemic, in 45% of cases in April seeing patients on the same day their appointment was booked, and the care GPs are delivering is becoming more complex. 

“GPs want to be able to consistently give their patients the care they deserve, no matter where they live in the country, but the intense workload and workforce pressures facing general practice are unsustainable. The government urgently needs to make good on its manifesto promise of 6,000 more full time equivalent GPs, and 26,000 more members of the wider team, by 2024. We also need to see comprehensive plans to keep highly trained, experienced GPs in the workforce for longer, and this needs to start by addressing unsustainable workload and giving GPs more time to care for patients.”