Scandal of GPs who treat 70 patients a day

STRESSED GPs are struggling to cope as they are forced to treat up to 70 patients a day.

An average GP had 41.5 daily “patient contacts” but some had 70 – almost three times the 25 which is deemed safe.

The poll in medics’ magazine Pulse comes after the BMA called for a limit to the number of daily consultations GPs have to deal with.

The Royal College of GPs says the number has increased by 16% in seven years.

Dr Richard Vautrey, of the BMA’s GPs committee, said: “This is leading to serious issues, including practices closing to new patients and surgeries closing entirely.

“This workload pressure also means GPs are increasingly suffering from burnout and patients are being put at risk of unsafe care.” Dr Mary McCarthy, of the European Union of GPs, said 25 contacts was safe, with 30-minute appointments standard in some countries. She said the UK situation was “pretty dreadful”.

One GP told Pulse he averaged 42 contacts a day. He said: “I have tendered my resignation as it is making me unwell to work at this pace.” NHS England said “record” numbers of GP trainees would eventually “ease these pressures”.

MISTAKES involving out-of-hours GPs have risen 26% in a year.

TURNING GP surgeries into medical factories, with doctors dealing with up to 70 patients a day, is highly dangerous.

Mistakes will inevitably be made by medics denied the time needed to examine properly.

Taken together with figures showing nurses are quitting faster than replacements can be recruited, it shows the NHS crisis is worsening not getting better.

Surely hapless Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt doesn’t really think the NHS is thriving under the Tories.

GPs, nurses and, most crucially, patients know its getting worse.