More than four in ten GP partners would go salaried for the right deal

Exclusive More than four in ten GP partners would consider going salaried if the deal was right, results of a Pulse survey show.

In all, 43% said they would move from partner to salaried with the right deal on the table.

But the vote was split with, 44% saying they would not, and 13% saying they did not know.

High workloads and administrative burdens were cited among those who said they would think about becoming salaried under certain circumstances.

But there was a great deal of scepticism among respondents around whether any deal would be good enough to make the switch worthwhile.

Many respondents said they would absolutely consider moving to salaried if the terms and pay were acceptable but thought this was unlikely to happen.

Dr Julian Povey, a GP in Shropshire, said: ‘It would need to be similar to consultant contract with [programmed activities] and [pay] at least 150k.’

Meanwhile some GPs told Pulse they were already in the middle of making such a move or looking into stepping away from their partnership.

One GP based in the Midlands who asked to remain anonymous said she had planned to retire at the end of 2025 but the pressures and unsafe workload had led to her recently quitting her partner role.

‘I was often working above my contracted/designated hours and rarely getting a break. I didn’t want to just leave because I still very much enjoy my role as an expert generalist but not under the unreasonable demands currently placed on GP partners.’  

She handed in her notice and took a job working as a GP on a zero hour contract for a local PCN where she has 15 mins appointment slots. She is applying to locum agencies to supplement her income and looking at doing sessions in the emergency department.

‘These roles allow me to give my time to what matters most to me, my patients, whilst giving me the flexibility to optimise my work-life balance and all without the pressure associated with partnership.’

A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research last month concluded that all new GPs should be offered salaried employment as ‘primary care consultants’ with pay in line with hospital consultants.

The offer should also be rolled out to partners over time but they stressed no partner should be forced to sign up.

In May, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said the GP partnership model was coming to the end of its life, saying the NHS needs more salaried GPs.

It followed an interview in The Times a few months earlier where shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider abolishing the GP partnership model.

However last week Mr Streeting expressed a change of heart, saying that he now recognises the ‘value GP partners provide’, after spending time in general practice.

Pulse’s survey was open between 9 and 15 June 2023, collating responses using the SurveyMonkey tool. A total of 408 GP partners from across the UK responded to the specific question. The survey was advertised to our readers via our website and email newsletter, with a prize draw for a £250 John Lewis voucher as an incentive to complete the survey. The survey is unweighted, and we do not claim this to be scientific – only a snapshot of the GP population.