Crisis-hit GP service ‘near to breaking’
A CHRONIC shortage of GPs means there is just one doctor looking after more than 3,000 patients in some parts of England.
There were 3,342 registered patients per full-time GP in Swale, Kent, in 2017 according to the figures from NHS Digital.
One in four patients in Swale waited over two weeks to see a GP, compared with one in five nationally, because of “a significant recruitment challenge”.
Last year the Daily Express revealed some areas had just six GPs dealing with 14,000 patients.
Some doctors were seeing more than 60 patients a day, leaving them burnt out, stressed and close to quitting.
The Royal College of General Practitioners described the system as “close to breaking point”.
Its analysis shows the average GP is now responsible for almost 200 more patients than a decade ago.
The crisis has seen thousands of GPs leave the profession.
Estimates suggest 6,000 GPs are needed in England alone – almost one at every surgery.
Dr Sandeep Kapur, an NHS GP in Penge, south-east London, said: “General practice is in crisis and there is no doubt the profession is suffering. The chronic shortage of doctors means there are probably nearly 188 million potential patient appointments not being met every year.
“We have the fundamentals of a great GP service that was the envy of the world but it is now on life support.”
The Government has pledged 5,000 extra GPs by 2020 but the Royal College says more than 6,000 are needed.
It found there were 1,446 people in England for every full-time GP in 2009, rising to 1,616 in 2017.
GP numbers fell further in 2018, suggesting a total rise of 12 per cent, while numbers of patients over the age of 65, who typically have more complex medical needs, rose by 25 per cent.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, RCGP chair, said: “It is clear the system is nearing breaking point.
“We are seeing more and more GP vacancies across the country, and we’re hearing from our members that it is taking longer to fill them.
“Patients have to wait longer for appointments because we simply don’t have enough GPs to meet demand.”
NHS England said more than 500 trainee GPs have been recruited to work in the hardest-hit areas.