GP recruitment crisis

SIR – I write in anger and frustration at the Government’s attempt to use sticking-plaster tactics to deal with the GP recruitment crisis (“GPs to be given £20,000 to work in shortage areas”, report, February 3).

Your report states that “last year, around 11 per cent of training places were left unfilled”. I therefore cannot understand how the Government can pledge to increase GP numbers by 5,000 by 2020.

It is time for an in-depth strategic review of GPs’ workloads, hours and salaries to establish the reason for the failure to recruit.

Repeated attempts at crisis management are a waste of time and a smokescreen for the underresourcing of GPs. Urgent action is required to save our essential family practitioner service.

Paula Foster

Knutsford, Cheshire