General practice delivers record number of appointments, despite workforce crisis

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, has responded to NHS England’s October GP workforce and appointments data

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs and our teams delivered more than 40m appointments, when you include Covid vaccinations, in October – a record and a whopping 10 million more than five years ago. That's a staggering 30% increase, yet we still have nearly 100 fewer, fully qualified, full time equivalent GPs in the workforce than 2019. Whilst this shows the dedication of GPs and our teams to ensure patients receive the care they need, it is not sustainable. 

“It is, of course, encouraging to see numbers of fully-qualified, full time equivalent GPs now steadily rising, but there are still fewer than five years ago, against a backdrop of ever-increasing workload, and this is pushing many GPs to burn out. Our recent survey warned that over 40% of GPs are unlikely to be working in general practice in five years' time, with more than half saying that finding the job too stressful is a key reason they are considering leaving. 

“In his landmark review, Lord Darzi acknowledged that primary care consistently delivers more care, with a shrinking proportion of the NHS budget. We’ve heard some encouraging proposals from the new Government to move more resource into primary care, but the pressures remain – and worsen – month by month, and it is our most vulnerable patients who are bearing the brunt when they struggle to access our care. 

“With winter fast approaching, our services will only get busier – and uncertainty around how the hike in National Insurance for employers will impact on practices is only adding to the pressures general practice is facing. We need action now to alleviate the workforce crisis. This means urgent investment in general practice, including into schemes to recruit and retain the GPs we need, to allow us to continue to provide the high-quality care our patients deserve.” 

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.