Wales’ GP services need special focus

GENERAL practice is the first port of call for the vast majority of people in Wales who need non-urgent treatment.

The beauty of the service is the fact it offers “whole person care”, taking into account the full range of patients’ physical, psychological and social needs.

But while these doctors are trusted and valued members of our communities, there is a growing concern about a shortage of GPs across the country.

The rise in patient numbers, workload and stress levels means many doctors are retiring early, going part-time or are moving to other fields.

Latest figures show that 23% of Welsh GPs are aged 50 or over, and there are worries not enough young GPs are being trained to replace those who are leaving their posts.

In the past 12 months a significant number of practices have closed or been handed back to health boards, leaving the remaining doctors to pick up the pieces.

The Royal College of GPs claims more than 400 full-time-equivalent GPs are needed in Wales by 2020 to deal with a looming “crisis” in the profession.

Wales’ ageing population means GPs are having to deal with a growing number of patients with a range of complex conditions.

And it is these patients who inevitably take up more of doctors’ time.

An estimated two thirds of the population of Wales aged 65 or older report having at least one chronic condition, while one third have multiple chronic conditions.

Inevitably, this increased demand is taking its toll on GPs across the country.

A new poll of 100 GPs in Wales between March and April has shown that more than 80% worry they may miss something serious with a patient due to their excessive workload. And more than 90% say they are concerned that a lack of resources in general practice is putting patient care at risk.

So what can be done to reverse this growing concern about a “looming crisis” in the GP workforce?

There are hopes pressures on GPs will be eased by other primary healthcare teams, such as pharmacists and physiotherapists who will be given additional responsibilities and powers.

In addition, there needs to be a concerted effort to attract more GPs to train, work and live in Wales through targeted advertising campaigns.

It could also be argued that a greater share of the NHS budget should be going towards general practice. The RCGP have called for an increased investment from 7.8% to 11% of the total Wales NHS budget by 2017.

And as part of the Welsh Government’s five-year vision for general practice, there are plans to place digital technology at the heart of the service.

Sadly, this situation will not improve overnight, but it is something each of the political parties needs to think long and hard about in the run-up to the Assembly elections and, if they gain power, after too. The Western Mail newspaper is published by Media Wales a subsidiary company of Trinity Mirror PLC, which is a member of IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation. The entire contents of The Western Mail are the copyright of Media Wales Ltd. It is an offence to copy any of its contents in any way without the company’s permission. If you require a licence to copy parts of it in any way or form, write to the Head of Finance at Six Park Street. The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2014 was 78.5%