Medical training places left unfilled as pressure mounts on general practice
There is a GP workforce crisis in England, says the NHS. In a report titled ‘Securing the Future GP Workforce’, it concludes that the crisis ‘must be addressed immediately’ and that ‘evidence is also emerging that the GP workforce is now shrinking rather than growing’.
This year’s census of GPs shows that there are 356 fewer than last year, and in some regions, only 60 per cent of places for GP training were filled.
The problem is compounded by a growing number of trained GPs leaving the workforce. According to the General Medical Council, the number of GPs in England applying for paperwork to emigrate doubled from 266 in 2009 to 529 in 2013.
Labour’s shadow Health minister Jamie Reed said:
“Patients struggle for appointments as the number of GPs falls under David Cameron. Medical students are put off by the intolerable pressure ministers have placed on general practice. While twice as many GPs are emigrating and 60 per cent are considering early retirement.
“David Cameron scrapped Labour’s guarantee of a GP appointment within 48 hours and now a million people turn to A&E when they can’t see their GP – a root cause of the Tory A&E crisis. That’s why the next Labour government will invest an extra £2.5 billion a year to recruit 8,000 more GPs and 20,000 nurses.”
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9 Responses to “GP workforce is shrinking, says NHS”
Dave Stewart
Teaching takes place on building sites to (apprenticeships etc) does that mean it’s Barretts responsibility to train more brick layers? Or perhaps it’s that the place who organize the course realize that on the job training is important.
LB
I hardly see how GPs can be trained on building sites. They need to be trained in hospitals. Bar one or two exceptions that is the NHS. Unlike Barretts, they are a monopoly supplier.
Barrettes do train people.
http://www.buildingcareerstogether.co.uk/Training-and-development/
Leon Wolfeson
No surprise you don’t understand the structure of the NHS.
Guest
So you don’t understand what he said. As you don’t understand that the Government tells the NHS how many training slots it has, and you make up nonsense about monopolies.
You are not required in any way to use the NHS. In fact, as you’re in Monaco….