Survey shows mixed bag for UK GPs: Salary and locum rates on the rise, yet dissatisfaction looms large

As reported by Pulse, the annual GP survey reveals a boost in earnings for both salaried GPs and locums, but job satisfaction remains low despite recent pay increase

The average salary and daily rates for salaried GPs and locums increased over the past year, by 2.9% and 11.9% respectively, according to a survey.

The results showed that the average session rate for a salaried GP this year is £10,509, which is an increase from last year’s £10,196.

Recruitment agency Menlo Park conducted a survey of 549 GPs, also finding that GP partners are earning an average of £138,400 (FTE) this year, an 8% increase from last year.

Meanwhile, the average number of hours worked per week decreased for GP partners, from around 42.1 hours in 2022 to 37.2 hours in 2023.

However, the survey, which also asked GPs about their level of satisfaction, found that only 32% of respondents were satisfied with their salary or clinical workload, and 59% would consider leaving general practice completely.

In July, the government accepted a pay review body recommendation for a 6% pay rise for NHS staff, which included salaried GPs and other practice staff, but not partners.

Menlo Park said it is ‘promising to see earnings increase across the board’, but that they are still ‘struggling to keep pace with inflation’, while workload has decreased only ‘marginally’.

The report said: ‘This is not to say that GPs are not run off their feet, but perhaps on reflection our 2022 survey displayed the peak of workload with the height of the Covid vaccine to contend with.’

The agency said the higher GP partner earnings this year could be a result of increased revenue from the Covid vaccine rollout, and may not be sustained throughout the next year.

According to the survey, locum daily rates rose from £619 last year to £693, however, it did not capture some of the ‘exceptionally higher rates’ seen last year, such as those exceeding £1,200.

While the number of weekly hours worked by salaried GPs decreased from 33.5 to 32.2, Menlo Park found that the average salaried GP now works 5.5 hours per session they are paid for, which is longer than the BMA’s safe working guidance of four hours and 10 minutes per session.

Other findings from Menlo Park’s survey

• Partners take either six or seven weeks’ leave
• Locums are not entitled to any paid leave but nearly a third take more than 10 weeks of unpaid leave annually
• 77% of locum GPs do not take time off to study (they are not entitled to any paid study leave)
• Only 16% of practices offer salaried GPs one weekly CPD session of four hours 10 minutes (down from 18.3% last year)
• In 2022, GP Partners dealt with on average 20 online enquiries daily – in 2023, this has reduced to 8 daily online enquiries
• Time spent doing admin has decreased for GP partners from an average of two hours 28 minutes per day last year to two hours this year
• Last year, salaried GPs averaged 15 F2F appointments and 20 telephone consultations, whereas this year, the average is 17 F2F appointments and 14 telephone consultations.
• 93% of GPs feel valued by their patients, but only 13% feel valued by the Government