Safety fears as GPs see over 100 patients in just one day

GPS are sometimes dealing with more than 100 patients in a single day, according to a UK-wide survey.

The average family doctor is in contact with 41 patients in a typical day, including consultations and phone calls. But one in ten has more than 60 ‘contacts’ and the UK’s most senior GP said she sometimes sees more than 100 patients in a day.

The survey, by Pulse magazine, found the safe number of patients was 30 – above this, doctors risk making serious mistakes. In Scotland, GPs had an average of 35 contacts a day and 8 per cent saw more than 60. A quarter of Scottish surgeries has at least one GP vacancy.

Doctors are retiring or resigning and they are not being replaced by trainees as the job is seen as unattractive.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, of the Royal College of GPs, who practises in

‘More likely to make mistakes’

Lichfield, Staffordshire said: ‘In my own practice recently, I had a 12-hour day and 100 patient contacts. GPs across the UK will tell similar stories.’

GPs were asked by Pulse how many patient contacts they had on a typical day – February 11 this year.

Dr James Howarth, a GP in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, said: ‘I was duty doctor on the day of Pulse’s survey, and I had 124 patient contacts. The median is about 60 to 70 – beyond a safe level. This workload creates patient safety risks.

‘I have raised safety concerns with governing bodies before. I was basically told to shut up or my practice would be run over with a fine-toothed comb.’

Professor Clare Gerada, former chairman of the RCGP, said tired, overworked GPs were ‘more likely to make mistakes’.

A new GP contract has recently been introduced across Scotland aimed at addressing excessive workloads.

The Royal College of GPs estimates a shortfall of 856 full time equivalent GPs in Scotland by 2021. The Scottish Government has pledged to increase GP numbers by 800 by 2027.