LETTER: Breaking point

General practice is at breaking point with more than half (53.3%) of GP practices in the South East say the quality of service to patients has deteriorated in the last 12 months and almost seven out of 10 (65.3%) practices say the current workload is unmanageable a lot or all of the time.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Feb 2016, 07:07 BST
Updated 17th Feb 2016, 07:51 BST

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This is the result of rising workload, including increasing patient demand for appointments which is placing unsustainable pressure on GP services that have been starved of resources and staff, leaving patients waiting longer to see a GP.

Across England, there were more than 600 GP Trainee positions left unfilled in 2015, while a third of the workforce are considering retirement in the next five years. This comes at a time when GP practices across the country are seeing 150,000 more patients each day than in 2010, but have seen no extra resources to maintain effective, safe care to the public.

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Politicians have to realise that general practice is currently running on empty. GPs desperately want to provide the best possible service for patients, but we need improved resources and support to provide patients with the care they deserve.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, GP committee chair, British Medical Association

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Related topics:GP practicesSouth EastChaand NagpaulPoliticiansEngland