A recent report from the Health Education England has
confirmed that GP recruitment levels are well below target and England’s GP
workforce is actually shrinking. This
news is worrying, though it accurately reflects the thoughts of GP leaders, who
have been concerned about the growing pressures on primary care in recent
years. But why are the levels of doctors
falling?
·
Many doctors are retiring and wish to take a
step back from the demands of full-time general practice
·
A growing number of doctors are leaving the
service to start families and are taking time out to raise their young children
·
Many trainees are choosing to specialise in a
particular area as opposed to joining general practice
·
Growing numbers of trainees are not completing
their training on time
Health Education England’s report, known as ‘Securing the
Future GP Workforce’, has a number of suggestions on how to rectify the current
GP trainee shortage:
·
GP recruitment has been stuck at just 2,700 per
year in recent years, however this target needs to increase to 3,250
·
The number of speciality training posts may need
to be cut in order to ensure that medical graduates undertake general practice
training
·
General practice needs to be promoted more
widely as a career to students at secondary school as well as medical
school. Encouraging medical students to
consider general practice during their foundation training may also help to
increase recruitment levels.
The report strongly outlines the need to reduce the number
of trainees in speciality areas in order to support the Government’s plan to
transfer care away from hospitals. Changes
will need to be made in terms of education investment and a carefully devised
plan will need to be put into place in order for appropriate timescales to be
met.
Whilst many GPs may be looking to reduce their hours in
order to improve their work-life balance, working on a locum basis may be a
practical option. Doctors who are
approaching retirement age and wish to work on a part-time basis, or parents of
young children who wish to work flexible hours which can fit around their
family may find that locum work can fit in to their lifestyle. This solution can also benefit the NHS as an
increased number of doctors can stay within general practice, helping to ease
the current GP shortage.
To find out more about life as a locum GP or to find out how
to register with a locum GP agency, feel free to take a look at the Locum Select website.
