Here’s a tonic for tired GPs ... and for our NHS
As A GP of 30 years, I’ve been struck by the promises of political solutions to the bottleneck at entry level to NHs treatment — the acute lack of GP time and of Accident & Emergency doctors. These promises range from ‘1,000 new doctors’ (by Plaid Cymru) to the even less believable number provided in the Conservative Party manifesto – 9,500 more doctors and 6,900 more nurses. From where are these thousands of new doctors supposed to be coming? Obviously, members of the voting public aren’t stupid enough to believe political parties can fulfil their pre-election boasts of producing doctors out of thin air. But these aspirations need not be wishful thinking: with a little thought and administrative flexibility, a large number of doctors can be conjured up. The medical establishment renews itself annually as new doctors qualify and older doctors retire. I suggest that our eyes be directed away from the gleaming promise of newly minted doctors to look instead at the rather crumpled and manifestly tired doctors falling off the other end. Rarely is disillusionment with the principles with which they started their career given as a cause for retirement. More commonly ‘overworked’ and ‘overgoverned’ are the two words used. There’s no doubt that if there was a level of governance which operated with a lighter touch for a base-level of medical practice then many of the large pool of retired, revitalised doctors would willingly give up some of their time for the benefit of communities. They could constitute an unparalleled screen of experienced eyes, ears and hands to absorb the walking, not-so-unwell majority of people who pitch up at GPs’ surgeries and A&E units. Taking the pressure off at that level would have a therapeutic ripple effect. sadly, this suggestion isn’t viable under the current onerous General Medical Council regulations for doctors governing registration and licence to practice — but I’m sure that a working group of representatives from the GMC, the Royal Colleges and others could agree on terms of reference. Inclusion in this graded licence to practise could involve limited prescribing rights and strictly defined minor procedures could be carried out.
Dr EDWARD LAVIN, Bristol.