‘Extra capacity must not be immediately outstripped by workload’ says College Chair

Responding to the latest NHS Digital data on the GP workforce, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

“It’s encouraging to see that the number of full-time equivalent GPs is rising, delivering care we know our patients need, but we’re nowhere near out of the woods yet. We still have a chronic shortage in the GP workforce, and demand for appointments continues to grow – GP teams delivered a record breaking 40 million in October – so we need to ensure that welcome extra capacity is not immediately outstripped by workload.

“Recruiting new GPs is just one part of the puzzle and, as these figures show, the retention of our experienced GPs also needs to be a priority, keeping knowledge and skills in the profession and ensuring we have the GPs we need to train and mentor the next generation. Without proper retention efforts we end up with a leaking pipeline.

“This is why we need a National Retention Strategy for general practice, and increased, ringfenced funding for GP retention efforts at both national and local levels to support GPs at every career stage, including new to practice fellowships for the newly qualified, career support for mid-career GPs and an emeritus scheme for those approaching retirement.

“The efforts made to address the crisis in recruitment by freeing-up ARRS funding to employ GPs has been a positive first step but what we need is an increase in the core GP contract. We need a long-term plan from the Government to grow the GP workforce and improve the situation for GPs at all stages of their career. The upcoming 10-year Health Plan and review of the NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan are the government’s opportunity to show they’re serious about supporting general practice.”

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.