While NHS grudgingly acknowledges severe GP shortages, creating extra ten thousand posts to fill the gap, in reality NHS even struggles to fill in the vacancies created by older GPs retiring in their droves, some in their early sixties, even in their late fifties.
This is mainly due to relentless pressure NHS is exerting on GP practices, with their dictum to open from 8 am to 8 PM, seven days a week, mainly to take away pressure from over worked, under pressure A and E Department. Driving existing GPs into early retirement is the worse scenario to relieve pressure on A and E Department.
Another setback is that newly qualified young GPs prefer to work part time, 3 to 4 days a week, thus choosing working hours and locations that may suit their lifestyle, avoiding the stress, paper work and unpopular home visits, thus enjoying the best of both the world.
With ever rising, ageing population and life longevity, pressure on GPs is only going to increase. No wonder NHS is coming up with gimmicks that should have no place in a modern, well funded NHS. First it was Skype consultation, the latest gimmick is Group Therapy,
GP seeing up to 15 patients suffering from similar medical conditions, such as Hyper Tension, Diabetics, Raised Cholesterol as well as depression, the scourge of modern living, all qualify for group consultation, one medication that cures all ills?
While this may suit some patients, learning from each other, the vast majority may not like to share their personal medical information with strangers.
It seems NHS has already earmarked some practices in London for this unique experiment, however I hope it would be patients and GPs who would ultimately decide how they should consult GPs.
Our GP introduced telephone consultation as a first step before face to face consultation. It works wonders, as face to face consultations have gone down by 50 percent, thus the needy gets same day appointment.
It seems, if there is a will, there is a way, with some common sense and give and take attitude.
Kumudini Valambia
By email
