The BMA has revealed ‘heartbreaking’ stories from GPs struggling to find work, while calling for additional funding to end the ‘scandalous’ unemployment crisis.
Speaking at the UK LMC conference today in Glasgow, sessional GP committee chair Dr Mark Steggles shared new results from a recent survey which suggested that almost 70% of GPs had experienced stress or anxiety because of ‘not being able to find any, or enough work’.
The same survey, which had more than 1,400 GP respondents and published its first results in February, found that 38% reported low self-esteem and confidence and 37% reported problems sleeping because of the challenges finding work.
Personal accounts, shared with the BMA anonymously, told of GPs planning to move abroad without their families in order to send money back and exploring different careers as life coaches or bus drivers (see box).
Dr Steggles blamed the unemployment crisis among GPs, which was the subject of a recent workforce report from Pulse’s publisher Cogora, on the ‘erosion’ of core funding, lack of estates investment, the promotion of ‘GP-lite’ models, and the expansion of training places without corresponding investment in GP jobs.
Personal GP stories on unemployment
- I’ve spent the past year commuting to somerset from Bournemouth or to Southampton for work mixed with urgent care evenings and nights. I’ve spent the past 8 months fulfilling the criteria to work in Canada including passing an exam. This with the concern that I may end up with no work at all if things get worse. I plan to go alone, leaving my wife and 2 kids here and send them money.
- My friend who was a salaried GP jumped off the aqueduct last year because of the way the NHS is at the moment, a family lost a mother and wife because the government doesn’t value a workforce of caring highly qualified dedicated doctors who are burning out because they are not valued or respected.
- I have given up now. I’m mainly a stay at home mum dependent on a husband I wanted to divorce.
- I’ve looked at changing careers e.g. becoming a software coder, medical coder, life coach, even driving a bus or train.
- I want to work. I looked forward to “giving back” and contributing to the NHS in my later years. I looked forward to helping burnt out young GPs and sharing my experience but I feel I have been thrown on the scrap heap.
- I feel badly let down by the Government. I very much regret going into general practice, I wish I had stayed in hospital medicine or another specialty.
- I have felt extremely low and terrified over the past few months. I have no other source of income, I am single and care for my dad. Without work, I won’t be able to afford my mortgage or other bills. I haven’t been able to sleep or do anything for myself because I’m in survival mode.
Source: BMA
He told LMC conference attendees that the stories highlighted were ‘just a few examples of the multitude of similarly heartbreaking stories’ the BMA heard from members.
Dr Steggles said: ‘Bizarre, toxic, scandalous, unconscionable, ridiculous, unacceptable… I’m running out of new adjectives to use to describe the crisis that is GP unemployment and under-employment.
‘It is incomprehensible, at a time of immense pressure on the health service, and patients waiting too long for appointments, that GPs are struggling to find work.’
‘We need the additional funding to get these GPs into work now – we cannot afford to waste the talent, time, and dedication of our future GPs,’ he added.
Following his speech, LMC leaders held a debate on the unemployment crisis which focused on the need to increase core funding so that practices can afford to employ GPs.
GPs also debated the value of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme – which last year opened up to GPs for the first time – with some arguing that the funding should be returned to the core contract.
But Dr Natalie Martin, a GP partner from Humberside LMC, argued that practices ‘just need more funding overall’ rather than moving the ARRS pot into the core contract.
She said: ‘That sounds like a good solution, but it’s not going to work, because that’s not going to increase the total funding to general practice.
‘So that money already exists, and a lot of PCNs, as we are, are using that fund for people that they would employ anyway.
‘I still need to employ those people, so it’s not giving me any extra money to employ more GPs if you just move that money into core.’
NHS England data for the period October 2024 to April 2025 showed that over 1,500 GPs had been hired by the ARRS – but this was a headcount rather than full-time equivalent figure.
