Almost half of GPS may quit, says survey

Nearly half of family doctors surveyed by a medical body said they are tempted to quit working as general practitioners (GPS) due to the impact of the pandemic.

A survey of 280 GPS by the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) found that 48% said they were likely to take early retirement or quit the NHS.

Almost four out of five (78%) GPS said they had experienced shortages of staff due to the coronavirus pandemic, while 47% said stress levels were higher now compared with the first wave of Covid-19.

Around six out of 10 (59%) GPS said the lack of face-to-face consultation put themselves or other staff members at greater risk of abusive confrontations.

Chris Kenny, chairman of the MDDUS, said: “The pandemic has left doctors struggling to cope with patient care, their mental wellbeing and their desire to stay in the NHS for the long term.

“The planning under way now to rebuild the UK must address this triple whammy of concerns to protect the National Health Service, its staff and their patients in the future.

“Most urgently, there should be a step change in mental health support.”

Dr Chris Williams, joint chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, said: “RCGP Scotland has been warning for years of the workforce challenges that general practice faces and such findings demonstrate the clear need for action to be taken to bolster the numbers working within the profession and for solutions that can ease the escalating pressures on the service.”