GP and primary care Flashcards
What percentage of GP posts were found to be vacant in a 2018 survey?
15.3%. Surveyed nearly 700 GPs
What factors are increasing demand?
- Ageing population.
- Longer life expectancies.
How many GP practices closed in 2019? How many people were affected?
In 2019, 99 GP practices were closed, affecting 350,000 people.
How many patients had to change GP surgeries in the 5 years leading up to 2019?
1.3 million patients have had to change their GP because of practice closures.
How have GP patient levels become unsafe?
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.
How many times a year does the average member of the public see a GP?
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.
What is the public’s opinion of GP practices?
A 2019 study revealed that public satisfaction with general practice is lower now than it has ever been before.
What is being done to increase GP numbers?
- 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).
** What consequences does the increased demand on GP services have on the NHS? **
- Longer wait times for GP appointments.
- People resort to A&E as an alternative.
- Lack of staff retention.
- GP practices closing.
** Can you give me some reasons behind the increased pressure on Primary Care services? **
- Ageing population and associated chronic diseases.
- Growing population.
- Lack of investment in social care.
- Longer life expectancies.
- GP practices closing.
- Pandemic backlog.
Can you tell me about some recent Primary Care policies and technologies introduced to reduce strain on GP practices?
- Incentivising medical students and foundation doctors to pursue general practice
What are some reasons for the lack of retention of GPs?
- Payed less than their hospital counterparts.
- High workload, 10 minute appointments which can be inadequate time.
- Admin etc
- Positive feedback loop. GPs leave = higher workload = GPs leave etc.
What is the link between GP access and health inequalities?
These problems are worse in the least affluent areas, where access to GPs is worse due to health inequalities. In Glasgow, for instance, male life expectancy in the Greater Govan area is just 65.4 years whereas it is 83 in the neighbouring area Pollokshields West.
What are some potential solutions?
- Make it easier for international GPs to join the primary care workforce without having to retrain. VISA access.
- Keep pay protection that means doctors retraining in a new specialty will maintain the same pay.
- NHS pharmacy first initiative.
- Using AI to remove aspects of bureaucracy and unecessary admin work.
What are the net changes in GPs every year?
- Net loss of a few hundred every year.
