The crumbling state of general practice infrastructure

It is no secret that general practice, and the whole of the health service, is facing a myriad of challenges. Some of these regularly make the headlines: falling rates of retention, growing demand for complex care and a longstanding lack of funding. But some problems GPs and their teams are dealing with daily aren't as obvious and don't receive the attention they deserve

Prof Margaret Ikpoh, Vice Chair for Professional Development, spoke to the i newspaper about her own surgery in Yorkshire.

“One of our main sites was acquired in the 1960s and has a litany of structural issues including frequent leaks, damp walls and build ups of mould. We recently refurbished one of our consultation rooms only to find a huge hidden build-up of mould had formed on one of the walls.

“Our consultation rooms are also a concern. Many are small and cramped which makes it challenging to treat patients. It also means we can only see a certain number of patients each day as we have a limited number of private spaces where it's safe to conduct an appointment.

“It's deeply frustrating and worrisome - and it's far from the standards our patients rightfully expect from a 21st century health service.”

The College's Fit for the Future report into GP infrastructure undertook an in-depth investigation of the challenges GPs and their teams are facing. It found two in five practice staff members considered their premises not fit for purpose, with 88% of those citing insufficient numbers of consulting rooms and 75% citing insufficient space to take on additional GP trainees. It uncovered accounts of practice staff stuck using ‘temporary’ portacabin extensions for 18 years, even after the walls had rotted.