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Negativity in general practice ‘is worst I’ve known’, says RCGP chair

Exclusive RCGP chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard has complained that the ‘negativity’ within the general practice profession is the worst she has ever known.

In an exclusive interview with two members of Pulse’s trainee editorial board, she said this was ‘tragic’ because it was putting people off going into ‘the greatest job in the world’.

And, although Professor Stokes-Lampard acknowledged that this was linked to lacking resources, she suggested experienced GPs should do their best to try to inspire GP trainees.

She said: ‘The negativity is probably the worst I’ve ever known and that’s tragic because it’s putting people off doing what, to my mind, is the greatest job in the world…

‘The negativity is a consequence of a whole decade of under-investment and under-resource and so it’s understandable. But it’s not helpful.’

Speaking at Pulse Live Birmingham earlier this summer, Professor Stokes-Lampard suggested that although GPs do need to vent their frustrations, they should do so only when in the company of senior colleagues.

According to Professor Stokes-Lampard, ‘we know the pendulum will swing back again’ and therefore GPs should ‘be inspiring for the future’.

Despite this, Professor Stokes-Lampard did criticise the progress of NHS England’s GP Forward View rescue package to date, describing it as ‘really not great’.

An RCGP report concluded this week that the GP Forward View is failing to have a ‘positive impact’ on GPs at the frontline, with it’s commitment to add 5,000 GPs to the workforce by 2020 in need of an ‘urgent rethink’.

But Professor Stokes-Lampard said: ‘Being a GP on a good day, in a surgery that’s properly resourced and properly staffed is fantastic.

‘That richness of the relationship with patients, what you can do for people and to be part of the community is so amazing. That’s why I do it, and that’s why most of us do it.’

Professor Stokes-Lampard also attempted to reassure new GPs about the future of the profession, saying that ‘there’s always been a crisis in general practice’ and ‘there’s always been GPs frightened about the future’.

‘But patients’ need for a trusted health care professional is constant,’ she added.

Her words come as earlier this week, Pulse’s survey of 282 GP trainees found that nearly 40% of have considered abandoning training because of stress.

Pulse’s survey also found that around four in ten GP trainees intend to take on a partnership within five years of qualification, with only one in ten ruling it out at any point.

Professor Stokes-Lampard said: ‘I think what will be different is the way that we work. We’ll be working in larger and larger groups… There will be partnerships but that will be one of a range of ways of delivering care.’