Third of GPs ‘unlikely’ to work in general practice in five years, warns RCGP

More than a quarter of GPs (28%) feel ‘so stressed they cannot cope’ at least once a week, which will lead to a ‘mass exodus’ in the next five years, a new RCGP survey has found.

According to the college’s annual GP Voice survey of more than 2,100 GPs and GP registrars, nearly a third of GPs are ‘unlikely to be working in general practice’ in five years’ time.

The college said that stress was identified as the main factor forcing GPs to consider leaving the profession, as it was cited by nearly half (44%) of respondents thinking about cutting their careers short, whilst 39% planned to leave to retire.

The survey identified ‘excessive workloads’ and ‘high levels of unnecessary bureaucracy’ as some of the primary reasons for the unmanageable stress facing GPs.

This has consequences for patient care with nearly three quarters (73%) of GPs reporting that patient safety ‘is being compromised by their workload pressures’ and fewer than 30% saying that they have enough time during consultations ‘to provide high quality care’.

The survey found that over half (58%) of GPs planning to leave said a reduction in administrative workload would make them more likely to stay in the profession, followed by a reduction in clinical workload (43%) and making the role of GP partners less risky (40%).

The college is calling on the Government to ensure that the refreshed workforce plan puts numbers on its commitment to increase the GP workforce, with ‘a clear roadmap’ to train, recruit and retain GPs.

RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said: ‘Nobody goes into general practice for an easy ride, but the fact that so many GPs feel so stressed and are worried about the impact this is having on their patients shows just how precarious the situation in general practice has become. It requires urgent action.

‘We’re expecting to see the reformed 10-year workforce Plan soon – and we urge the Government to use it as an opportunity to show how it will deliver on commitments of “thousands” more GPs, not only through recruitment but through retention.

‘We also need to ensure GPs don’t have their precious time with patients being eaten into by bureaucracy. Allowing specialists to refer patients directly to other specialists when appropriate, rather than requiring GPs to re-refer, would lessen the administrative burden and a fully integrated digital system would improve access to information and communication across the system, while minimising errors and duplication.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘The wellbeing of all those working in the NHS is vital, and we are grateful to GPs for the crucial work they do.

‘GPs are central to our vision of a Neighbourhood Health Service. The 10 Year Health plan sets out a bright future for general practice, leading new neighbourhood providers, and benefitting from an increasing proportion of NHS funds going to out of hospital care.

‘We are supporting GPs to lessen their workload. In just one year, we’ve recruited more than 2,500 GPs across the country, scrapped half of GPs targets to stop them being bogged down in bureaucracy and provided an extra £1.1 billion of vital funding as we reverse more than a decade of neglect in our general practice services.’

Last year, health secretary Wes Streeting said the Government would rework the current NHS workforce strategy, published in 2023, and committed to publishing a refreshed NHS Workforce Plan.

According to the 10-year plan for the NHS published in July, this workforce strategy will include ‘fewer staff than projected’ by 2035.

Earlier this year, a Pulse survey found that more than half of GPs had to reduce their sessions due to the stresses of the job. Work-related stress caused lack of sleep for 70% of GPs, while 15% said it led them to take antidepressants.