I was extremely surprised reading in national newspapers about MPs’ fiddlesticks report on early closing culture in GP surgeries during core opening hours of 8am to 7pm. My experiences with my own GP as well as talking to many friends who are GPs paint entirely different picture of their commitment to serve their patients. Most full-time GPs’ working day stretches to ten/twelve hours and weekly input of no less than seventy hours which could not be matched in any other profession. Moreover their workload is more stressful, as they literally deal with life and death situations on daily basis, with ever rising workload due to ageing population and life longevity. No wonder suicide rate is one of the highest in their profession compared to national average and many GPs are driven to drinks and early retirement.
Yes, many surgeries do not see patients in the afternoon. But these are not long, luxurious lunch hours as portrayed. But many GPs use these breaks to catch-up on paper-work, telephone consultations and for home visits, especially to care, nursing home patients. I would lay the blame for crisis in NHS at the foot of politicians, who live in their “Ivory Towers” cut-off from realities, playing “Robin Hood” to third world while ignoring crisis in our NHS, education and housing we come across every day while helping our people. It is time for our fiduciary politicians to adopt slogan, “Charity Begins at Home!”
Kumudini Valambia
By email
