One in four GPs facing closure amid 'insurmountable pressures'

The report warned that doctors of local GP offices are facing "winter-style pressures" well into the summer, adding that the NHS "will not survive" without these".

The findings were gathered by surveying some 2,649 GPs, revealing some unsettling data.

27% of those polled said their practice was at risk of closure with nine in ten blaming huge workloads, rising demand and staff leaving the sector.

Look/listen out for @KamilaRCGP’s mini broadcast round this morning on the launch of our latest #FitForTheFuture report, highlighting the immense pressures GPs and their teams are working under, the impact on patients, and what we think Government needs to do to change things.

— RCGP (@rcgp) March 10, 2023

The authors of the report said: "The workload pressures in general practice over this winter have been immense, and high levels of patient demand are set to continue for some time.

"General practice is in crisis. We cannot rely on short-term emergency funding pots over winter to try and paper over the cracks.

"Without a functioning primary care service, the NHS will fail."

Doctors 'becoming so stressed' they need 'to be seen themselves' amid high demand on service

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of RCGP, told Sky News of her concern over doctors being so overworked, they have to get medical attention.

She said: "I've certainly heard of colleagues of mine becoming so stressed during their days of work that they're developing chest pain and needing to be seen themselves," she said.

"If you're seeing 40 to 60 patients a day and making that number of clinical decisions, it is extremely stressful and worrying because each one of those clinical decisions is important."

RCGP tells the government to 'cut red tape' and 'unnecessary box ticking' to help GPs 

.@KamilaRCGP just spoke to @SkyNews about the ‘insurmountable’ pressures GP teams are telling us they’re working under. She called for more funding for general practice, including in IT and premises, and more to be done to help retain GPs in the workforce delivering patient care pic.twitter.com/NcmVrNi2zO

— RCGP (@rcgp) March 10, 2023

The report by RCGP recommends that the government cut red tape and do away with 'unnecessary box ticking' so that doctors can be more available for patient care.

There were also calls for more support for local GPs during surges in demand such as in the winter.

Professor Hawthorne added: "We are seeing more patients than we've ever seen before, we are really busy and getting busier.

"And yet we have fewer doctors because GPs are leaving the profession due to the intolerable workload and workforce crisis that we're under.

"So we've now got 843 fewer full-time equivalent GPs since 2019, and the numbers are going down and down and down. That's all extremely worrying."

'Unless significant action is taken' GPs will continue to be on the brink

The report concluded: "Unless significant action is taken in the short-medium term, pressures will continue to intensify for those still in practice, creating a vicious cycle whereby increasing numbers of GPs continue to leave the workforce due to insurmountable pressures.

"Urgent action is needed to break this cycle, supporting today's GPs to stay in practice while we continue to train tomorrow's GPs."

The government has defended its track record with a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care saying: "There are 400 more doctors in general practice compared to a year ago and we are delivering almost 120,000 extra appointments every day."