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The deteriorating recruitment of GPs is very serious in that it renders the 10-year Plan impossible. Denials from the Department of Health do not fool the GPs currently in post. So why are doctors reluctant to become GPs?
Firstly: The pressures are increasing as population age increases and expectations rise.
Secondly: GPs know that a huge number of them will retire within the next five years, and what that implies for newcomers is obvious.
Thirdly: We have older GPs being made aware that there is no benefit in working full time as tax advantages encourage part time work, thus compounding the problem.
Fourthly: There is also the logistical fact that the majority of medical graduates are female, and they rightly expect time to care for their children, necessitating time out of practice or part time work. This has not been addressed.
I cannot believe that these problems are insoluble, but the downward spiral will not be stopped by wishful thinking from ministers in denial about what is going on. What are the Royal Colleges going to do about this situation?
Competing interests:
No competing interests
15 February 2019
Thomas McEwen
Clinical Assistant in Palliative Care, (retired GP).
Re: Ongoing GP crisis
The deteriorating recruitment of GPs is very serious in that it renders the 10-year Plan impossible. Denials from the Department of Health do not fool the GPs currently in post. So why are doctors reluctant to become GPs?
Firstly: The pressures are increasing as population age increases and expectations rise.
Secondly: GPs know that a huge number of them will retire within the next five years, and what that implies for newcomers is obvious.
Thirdly: We have older GPs being made aware that there is no benefit in working full time as tax advantages encourage part time work, thus compounding the problem.
Fourthly: There is also the logistical fact that the majority of medical graduates are female, and they rightly expect time to care for their children, necessitating time out of practice or part time work. This has not been addressed.
I cannot believe that these problems are insoluble, but the downward spiral will not be stopped by wishful thinking from ministers in denial about what is going on. What are the Royal Colleges going to do about this situation?
Competing interests: No competing interests