GP and primary care

Question 1

What percentage of GP posts were found to be vacant in a 2018 survey?

Answer 1

15.3%. Surveyed nearly 700 GPs

Question 2

What factors are increasing demand?

Answer 2

• Ageing population.
• Longer life expectancies.

Question 3

How many GP practices closed in 2019? How many people were affected?

Answer 3

In 2019, 99 GP practices were closed, affecting 350,000 people.

Question 4

How many patients had to change GP surgeries in the 5 years leading up to 2019?

Answer 4

1.3 million patients have had to change their GP because of practice closures.

Question 5

How have GP patient levels become unsafe?

Answer 5

It found that one in ten GPs are seeing over 60 patients a day, double the number which is considered safe. Also, some GPs work an average 11-hour day, with patient consultations taking up eight hours of that time.

Question 6

How many times a year does the average member of the public see a GP?

Answer 6

The average member of the public sees a GP six times per year. Some of these appointments are for things which don’t require a GP and could be dealt with by other healthcare professionals and services.

Question 7

What is the public’s opinion of GP practices?

Answer 7

A 2019 study revealed that public satisfaction with general practice is lower now than it has ever been before.

Question 8

What is being done to increase GP numbers?

Answer 8

• Medical Schools are trying to correct misconceptions about general practice and encourage more students to think about the role.
• The NHS has a £10m scheme to incentivise Foundation Year doctors to become GPs.
• The ‘golden hello’ scheme offers a one-off payment of £20,000 if they start their careers in certain areas that need more GPs. Since the introduction of this, the number of trainee GPs taking these posts has doubled.
• International recruitment is a short-term solution. However, the NHS in England failed to reach their target of recruiting 2,000 overseas doctors by 2020 – the international GP recruitment programme had brought in just a fraction of this number (around 150).

Question 9

** What consequences does the increased demand on GP services have on the NHS? **

Answer 9

• Longer wait times for GP appointments.
• People resort to A&E as an alternative.
• Lack of staff retention.
• GP practices closing.

Question 10

** Can you give me some reasons behind the increased pressure on Primary Care services? **

Answer 10

• Ageing population and associated chronic diseases.
• Growing population.
• Lack of investment in social care.
• Longer life expectancies.
• GP practices closing.
• Pandemic backlog.

Question 11

Can you tell me about some recent Primary Care policies and technologies introduced to reduce strain on GP practices?

Answer 11

• Incentivising medical students and foundation doctors to pursue general practice