GPs sound the alarm over ‘outdated’ infrastructure

A third of GPs (30%) report that their work PC or laptop software is not fit for purpose, while more than a third (33%) say their practice building is inadequate for providing care for patients, according to the latest poll of members of the Royal College of GPs - the UK’s largest Medical Royal College representing over 54,000 family doctors.  

The College is warning that GP practice buildings and infrastructure in general practice are ‘falling apart’ and this can have a serious impact on their patients’ experience of and access to general practice care and services.

The polling also revealed that 56% of GPs reported that there were such fundamental inadequacies in their digital infrastructure that they could not effectively exchange information with NHS trusts. If GPs are unable to easily share information with hospitals and other secondary care hubs this can lead to disjointed care and a poorer patient experience. 

Similarly, if practice buildings aren’t fit for purpose, it can have a negative impact on the care patients receive. If consultation rooms are too small and cramped, or there aren’t enough of them, this not only provides a poor experience, but it also limits the number of team members a practice can employ and the appointments a practice can deliver in a day.

These issues in physical and digital infrastructure are contributing to the unrelenting pressures facing general practice: GPs and their teams delivered over 27.6 million appointments last month – over 4 million more than in August 2019 - despite having fewer fully qualified full-time GPs than five years ago. The number of patients per fully qualified GP is now a staggering 2,280.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “General practice is already struggling to keep up with increasing patient need for our care, and inadequate infrastructure, whether that be out of date IT or practice buildings that are falling apart, only compounds these pressures.

"Our polling shows the true extent of the crisis: GPs are being held back by old IT that is unfit for purpose and working in inadequate buildings. This is a far cry from what our patients expect and deserve, and it needs to be addressed.

"This is all a major hindrance for GP teams, but it can have serious consequences for patients: those with lung conditions such as bronchitis or chronic asthma, for example, may well be hesitant to seek treatment if their local practice is riddled with damp and mould. Likewise, if ineffective IT hampers communication between primary and secondary care then patients may not receive the treatment they need as quickly as they need it.

"Issues with GP infrastructure needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency if we are going to rescue primary care. This is why we’re calling on the government to dedicate at least £2 billion worth of funding to improve GP infrastructure - including IT systems – so that GPs and their teams can do their jobs properly and our patients’ experience and access to care is no longer compromised.” 

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.