ALMOST 300 GP practices are facing closure, a new BMA survey released today has warned.
The crisis in general practice is set to worsen according to a new BMA survey of GP practices which also reports that more than 900 GP practices are in a ‘weak financial position’, with 294 GP practices believing they are financially ‘unsustainable’.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA GP committee chair, said: ‘GP practices are facing this dire situation because they are being overwhelmed by rising patient demand, cuts to funding, staff shortages and more unfunded work being moved from hospitals into the community.
‘Given these pressures it is unsurprising that GPs are considering leaving the NHS while new medical graduates are turning their backs on a career as a GP, a situation undoubtedly worsened by the government’s appalling handling of the junior doctor contract.
‘With hundreds of GP practices facing financial uncertainty, and close to 300 facing possible closure, we need the government to act urgently to deliver a comprehensive rescue package that safeguards GP services for patients. We cannot have a situation where thousands of patients are left without a local GP practice that can deliver the care they deserve.’
The survey received a response from 2,830 GP practices across England, around a third of all GP practices in the country. The key findings included:
• Almost half of GP practices (46 per cent) reported that they had GPs in their workforce who were either intending to retire (37 per cent) or leave the UK (9 per cent).
• The North East (42 per cent) and East Anglia (41 per cent) have the highest levels of practices reporting GPs considering retirement, while the South (12 per cent), the East Midlands (11 per cent) and the South West (11 per cent) record higher than average intentions of GPs planning to leave the UK.
• Around one in ten practices believe they are financially ‘unsustainable’ (10 per cent) – 294 GP practices across England.
• A further one in five (22 per cent) are having to make plans to correct a weak financial position (610 practices in England) with just one in twenty GP practices (5 per cent) reporting that their finances were in a strong state.
• London had by far the worst figures for financial stability, with the highest level of GP practices concerned their services were unsustainable (14 per cent), the largest proportion reporting their overall financial position was weak (41 per cent) and the lowest number of GP practices reporting their situation as ‘strong’ (2 per cent).
