We've noticed your using a old browser this may cause issuse when experincing our site. We recommend updating your browser here this provides the latest browsers for you to download. This just makes sure your experince our website and all others websites in the best possible way. Close

Practice medical workforce decline leads to European summons

NewsThe NHS has turned to Europe for an immediate infusion of GPs as new figures give a conflicting picture of recruitment of doctors to work in practices.

Annual figures, reported by NHS Digital, showed a steep decline in GP numbers over the last year.

But in the three months between April and June, practices succeeded in increasing doctor numbers, according to a second set of provisional statistics.

Under the NHS England plan, some 600 doctors will be recruited from the European Economic Area over the next 12 months, ahead of Brexit. It had originally planned to recruit 500 by 2020 but says it will increase this to 2,000.

According to the NHS Digital figures, the number of full-time equivalent GPs fell by 1,252 in the year ending in March. The numbers exclude doctors working as locums.

The bulk of the reduction occurred in the first three months of this year when GP numbers fell by 491.

But in the next three months, full-time equivalent GPs increased by 321 – and the number of doctors working as GP partners or salaried doctors increased by 224.

The news followed the announcement that Health Education England plans to press ahead with a scheme to introduce more flexibility in the passing of GP exams for some doctors.

Royal College of GPs chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: “If we continue on an upwards trajectory throughout the course of the GP Forward View, then we will substantially increase the number of GPs in the workforce – and if we also consider the potential from new plans to recruit at least 2,000 overseas doctors by 2020, announced by NHS England today, this is positive for the profession.

“We must not rest on our laurels. We must continue to pull out every stop imaginable to recruit more GPs, make it easier for trained GPs to return to practice, and perhaps most importantly address workload and conditions in general practice, so that more GPs stay in our profession, delivering patient care for years to come.”

But Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said: “More needs to be done by the government to create a sustainable, long term basis on which to remedy the huge workforce problems threatening to overwhelm GP services across the country.

“It is disappointing that once again the latest official figures show only a marginal increase in the GP workforce in England despite repeated promises by politicians that patients would be seeing thousands more GPs trained in the UK delivering care in the NHS.

“Many GP practices are struggling badly to provide enough appointments and basic services to the public because of endemic staff shortages.”

Rating

GP Practice News

GP news from Practice Index.

View all posts by GP Practice News
The 2024/25 GP contract – By Ben Gowland

March 21, 2024

The updated Practice Manager’s Handbook 2024

March 21, 2024

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply

Get in the know!
newsletterpopup close icon
practice index weekly

Subscribe to the Weekly, our free email newsletter.

Keeping you updated and connected.