GPs Warn of Unsafe Care Due to Doctor Shortage

The Royal College of GPs chair, Prof Kamila Hawthorne, has issued a stark warning: GP surgeries are unable to guarantee safe patient care due to a severe shortage of doctors. Practices are desperate to recruit more medical professionals to manage soaring demand but are critically hindered by a lack of core funding.

This chronic underfunding has resulted in GPs working "completely unsafe hours" and facing "unsustainable workloads." The number of patients per full-time GP in England has risen significantly over the past decade, exacerbating the complexity of care required by an aging population. A survey indicated that 92% of practices needing to hire GPs are prevented by funding shortfalls.

In response, the Department of Health and Social Care stated they have increased funding and recruited GPs, alongside reducing targets. However, the RCGP argues that this funding has been eroded by increased national insurance contributions, and more detailed plans with specific numbers are needed to address the crisis effectively and restore patient safety.