UK is ranked 16th out of 21 top European nations when comparing the number of GPs per 100,000 populations, with 76 GPs, even behind such relatively poor nations like Malta, Romania, Estonia and few more. Portugal occupies top position with 253 GPs, followed by Ireland and France where their NHS provide one of the best medical service available, although some may have different ways of funding their NHS, combination of both private insurance and government contribution.
Here, although most OAPs are scrupulous, willing to contribute for their treatment, if they can go private, NHS dogma prohibits such arrangement, brainwashed by politicians that all medical care should be free at the point of delivery. Yet we pay for our very costly dental treatment!
With people living longer but not necessarily healthier, no wonder primary care that included age related medical and social care is in crisis, old, disable and chronically sick people blocking thousands of NHS beds, who are medically fit to move out but stuck in hospital, as Social Services are unable to provide home care or a place in nursing home where there is a waiting list of six months, except at upper end where it may cost up to £1400 per week, out of reach for most local councils who normally fund such charges.
Most GPs in London come from ethnic minorities who came to UK in sixties, are now reaching retirement age, many prefer to retire early due to immense pressure they have to work under, more of less seven days a week and government is putting more and more pressure on GPs to provide in-house investigative service and minor operations, to relieve pressure on A & E but failing to provide extra finances to accommodate these services.
Moreover newly trained doctors prefer to work part time, some 20 hours a week as locums rather than commit to NHS as full time GPs that was the norm few decades back. In a Surgery with ten doctors, only one or two may be full time and the rest locums. Such arrangement also frustrates patients, as they consult a different GP every time, thus not able to establish robust personal touch which used to be the norm not so long ago. No wonder many EU citizens working here go back to their homeland for medical treatment, especially dental treatment which is quick, efficient and above all no waiting list!
Kumudini Valambia
By email
