Cure needed for ills of general practice

The formerly-coveted role of family GP seems to have become something of a poisoned chalice. After statistics emerged that an increasing number of GPs are choosing to work outside Scotland, former Dundee practitioner Dr Alistair Montgomery revealed the downward spiral in the profession.

An increasing workload is putting off medical students who see their future in other sectors.

Meanwhile, senior GPs are covering the gaps but they will only grow wider as those dedicated professionals retire with no one coming through to take their places.

As with every other part of the medical profession, general practice has been forced to undergo drastic changes.

The romantic “Dr Finlay” is long gone, replaced by GPs who are as much practice managers as medics.

The nature of patients has also changed with increasing burdens placed on surgeries by a public which sees instant access to a doctor or nurse as a right. The emergence of the internet and self-assessing Google-searchers is a rising issue.

Dr Montgomery argues general practice must be viewed by patients as a “privilege to be treasured... and not a right at their convenience”.

An estimated 850 GPs must be recruited by 2021 according to their professional body.

More must be done to ensure that happens.