'One in six' GPs set to quit

One in six family doctors is thinking of changing to a career outside general practice, a survey of thousands of UK GPs said today.

The British Medical Association (BMA) believes that privatisation fears and the feeling that the core values of general practice are being undermined, worsening patient care, are behind low morale.

The BMA said GP leaders blame the unease on policies which emphasise cost-cutting and care quantity rather than quality, worries about primary care privatisation and a long-running "doctor-bashing" campaign.

More than 11,000 GPs responded to the BMA survey between June and July.

GPs said their morale has taken a battering in the last five years, with more than half (53.2%) saying the situation has become worse.

Nearly two-thirds (63.1%) believe NHS changes over the past decade have made it harder to practise good medicine.

Just over half (51.9%) would recommend a career as a GP to an undergraduate.

Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's General Practitioners Committee said: "GPs are worried about the future of general practice in this country.

"They have concerns about the negative impact current policies could ultimately have on patient care and they feel they are being attacked for achieving and surpassing Government targets.

"That is why the morale of GPs is low.

"While many GPs can see a case for private providers having a limited role in delivering NHS care, the majority believe the widespread introduction of private providers into general practice would not improve the quality of care patients receive."

He said there were "serious concerns" about the traditional core values of general practice, in particular continuity of care.

"Yet it's that long-term relationship with a family doctor that patients say time and time again is what they value the most about UK general practice," he said.

"There is the threat that care could become more remote from where patients live as more doctors are placed in fewer buildings, providing... a poorer quality of care overall.

"Private providers could struggle to recruit and retain doctors, as most young GPs aspire to become partners in a practice, or they could look to cut costs by employing fewer doctors and more of other kinds of staff.

"Care could become more fragmented putting patients at risk."

The survey also found that while around half (53.3%) of GP partners would consider extending opening hours if the resources were available, three- quarters (72.5%) of GPs do not believe it is a good use of NHS resources.

Nine in 10 (89.2%) doctors also said the complexity of consultations has increased since the introduction of the new contract.

The BMA believes extending surgery opening hours would mean the whole practice team and hospital and community support services need to be available, otherwise evening or weekend surgeries would be of little genuine use.

Dr Buckman continued: "GPs are not against looking at new ways of working, and already tailor their services in flexible ways to meet the needs of their patients...

"With regard to extending hours further beyond the current 8am-6.30pm, GPs remain to be convinced.

"Without specific, additional funding for extended hours, current services will become harder to sustain."

:: The survey follows figures released earlier this year which showed that almost half of all family doctors have annual earnings in excess of £100,000.

A breakdown of statistics from the Information Centre for Health and Social Care (ICHSC) revealed that 46% of GPs earned more than £100,000 in 2004/05, with almost one in 10 taking home at least £150,000.

Family doctors in England are paid more than their counterparts in other home countries, with average earnings either side of the Scottish border differing by more than £20,000.