A recent analysis by the BBC has revealed that shortages of doctors in England mean that the average GP now cares for 17% more patients than they did nine years ago. Recent statistics show that for every permanent GP, there are more than 2,300 patients. This represents an increase of almost 350 since 2015. The increase has contributed to a decline in accessibility for general practice as well as a reduction in patient satisfaction levels, with access to care varying across the country.
The recent analysis delved deeper into the NHS data, uncovering further fluctuations in the system. The areas struggling most have list sizes that exceed 3,000 patients— nearly double those of the areas with the most doctors. Experts have said that this variation is “unwarranted”, and is putting patients’ health at risk.
The UK government has announced plans to tackle the problem. They are developing strategies to train more doctors to relieve some of the pressure on those currently working in the field, but also plan to provide pharmacists with more responsibility so that GPs can focus on more complex problems.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is undertaking its annual conference to discuss how access to GPs is declining, especially in poorer areas. The college’s chair, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, is expected to highlight that shortages of GPs have had a “devastating” impact on local populations’ health. Hawthorne will also stress that the increase in patient numbers per GP has now become unmanageable.
In the summer, British Medical Association members launched a ‘work-to-rule’ protest including capping patient appointments due to a lack of adequate funding. In response, Chief Executive of Patient Watchdog Healthwatch England, Louise Ansari, said that “difficulty accessing GP appointments is the number-one issue people share with us… And it’s often unpaid carers, disabled people, people on lower incomes and those aged outside of English” who are most susceptible to the issue. Although the numbers of patients per GP have fallen slightly since last year, there continues to be a significant lack of funding for GP services
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
