GP services ‘close to collapse’ in Wales, doctors’ union warns
GP SERVICES are close to collapse in Wales, a doctors union has warned. British Medical Association Cymru has made a “final plea” to the Senedd to listen to “grave concerns” they have about the service in Wales.
The union surveyed GPs across the country and found that more than 80% said they fear they are unable to provide quality and safe care to patients due to excessive workloads, diminishing workforce and the rising demands on the service.
More than a quarter of GPs asked are planning on leaving the profession in the near future, the survey suggests.
The union delivered a report to the Senedd yesterday calling on the Welsh Government to deliver a package of support to save general practice in Wales.
According to the report, Wales has a deficit of 664 GPs, while 84 surgeries have closed over the past decade.
There is also concern about an overspend of almost £11m on managed practices by health boards.
The Save Our Surgeries report shows that there are 2,324 GPs in Wales, with only 1,445 working fulltime and more than a quarter (26.6%) planning to leave the profession in the near future, according to the BMA survey.
Dr Gareth Oelmann, chairman of BMA Cymru Wales GP Committee, said: “Today is a defining moment for general practice in Wales, a final plea to those in power to listen to our grave concerns and to step in and save the service from collapse.
“Recent activity data shows that last year (22/23) alone, GP surgeries received a total of 27 million phone calls, with 19 million appointments offered, 1.3 million referrals to secondary care made and a total of 56 million prescription items issued, all within a population of three million. Despite the remarkable efforts of hard-working GPs across Wales, the future of general practice hangs on a precipice because of long-standing under-investment.
“The strain has been felt up and down the country, we have heard from GPs who have been unable to recruit permanent staff for years on end, examples of extreme burnout and a rising number of surgeries having to close their doors as a result, leaving thousands of patients having to be treated elsewhere.
“The BMA Cymru Wales campaign ‘Save Our Surgeries’ calls on the Welsh Government to commit to a rescue package to support GPs and their patients. With the correct level of support, General Practice can thrive again, ensuring the family doctor’s role in the care of future generations.”
One GP partner told the BBC that the job has become so stressful, it resulted in her ending up in hospital with sepsis after she ignored flu-like symptoms and “soldiered on”.
Dr Suhair Alwan, 40, said she recognised the job was far too demanding and decided to retire.
She said: “Because I was lucky to survive this time, there’s a good chance that next time that won’t be the case, so the logical decision was to leave.”
Dr Alwan also said she believes the pressures on GPs is so great that hundreds of wrong decisions could be made daily. She now works as a selfemployed locum GP.
Meanwhile, The Royal College of Midwives has also issued a stark warning about “dramatically low levels” of midwives in Wales.
It says the number of experienced midwives (aged 46-55) has fallen steeply.
RCM says there is an “urgent need for a renewed focus on workforce and staffing levels for maternity services in Wales”.
The number of midwives as a whole is virtually the same now as it was in 2016, but the decrease in experienced midwives is a worrying factor.
RCM director for Wales Julie Richards said: “Every day midwives go the extra mile for those they help, often to the detriment of their own mental and physical health. Despite more people using midwifery services and the steady increase in more complicated pregnancies, the actual numbers of midwives hasn’t really risen over the last five years.
“This is bound to impact on the quality of care. Let’s be clear – services are currently coping only because of the superhuman efforts of their staff. In Wales we have seen a worrying decline in the numbers of experienced midwives. When these midwives leave they take their knowledge and experience with them.”