What is the root cause of the GP workforce crisis?

Abstract

Much has been written about the current crisis in UK general practice.1 GPs in the UK report finding their job more stressful than GPs in other countries2 and the reasons for the pressures in UK primary care have been well rehearsed in the literature and media, including management of patients with increasingly complex needs and expectations, increasing numbers of face-to-face consultations, work that is more intense, and longer working days.3 Compounding these pressures, GP practices are finding it difficult to recruit and retain GPs, resulting in a concurrent workforce crisis.1 This is all contributing to the destabilisation of the traditional structure of primary care based on the partnership model.1,4,5 The King’s Fund report on the state of English general practice1 found that GPs in training intended to work as locums (44%) or salaried doctors (48%) after qualification, with only 3% intending to work as partners. Another study reporting similar results4 found that less than a third of GP trainees hoped to work full time a year after qualification. Only 33% of GP trainees reported that they would become a doctor if they had the chance to go back and 34% stated they would consider specialties other than general practice. Fewer than half reported that they would recommend general practice to junior doctors. Reasons included workload, job-related stress, …