GPs face 'epic' workforce crisis

  Doctors and patients have been helping to spread the word about the crisis in general practice. Almost 1,300 people have used the Twitter #GPinCrisis to share their experiences and express support for the BMA’s campaign Urgent Prescription for General Practice. The campaign was launched last week with a series of ‘heatmaps’ (see above) highlighting the pressures on general practice across England and Wales, materials to support practices and a checklist of urgent actions for the Government. Patients have also been giving their experiences of the pressures facing general practice. A patient campaign group called Slawit Health Centre SOS held an event last weekend to complain about a proposed 44 per cent cut in funding at Slaithwaite Health Centre, West Yorkshire. Ruinous cuts Slaithwaite GP Paul Wilding said: ‘We urgently need a pause in ruinous NHS and social care cuts. ‘Politicians need to stand up now, find a way to work together and back [former health minister] Norman Lamb’s call for an independent commission into the future of the NHS and social care. ‘Untold misery will affect us all until this is done.’ Birmingham GP Samir Dawlatly spoke out about the pressures facing GPs. ‘General practice needs symptom relief from increasing workload, and intensive prophylactic treatment to prevent a workforce crisis of epic proportions.’ Launching the campaign last week, BMA GP member Beth McCarron said: ‘Th...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news