GP crisis: 91% in Wales can’t keep up with patient demand
A survey by BMA Cymru Wales has revealed that 91% of GPs are routinely unable to meet patient demand due to unsustainably high workloads affecting appointment availability.
The survey data, which will be shared with members of the Senedd at BMA Cymru Wales’ Save Our Surgeries event today, also exposed an alarming 87% of GPs feared their rising workloads were impacting patient safety as Wales saw its 100th GP surgery close this year.
The data paints a bleak picture of the current state of general practice in Wales.
With the reduction in available surgeries, GPs are now seeing up to 35% more patients, leading to unsustainable workloads and increasing instances of burnout. Many doctors have been forced to reduce their working hours to cope with the strain.
Dr Gareth Oelmann, Chair of GPC Wales, expressed deep concerns:
“I have been a GP for 25 years. I love my job and feel incredibly privileged to be able to support patients through their most frightening times. It has become almost impossible to provide the caring, quality service that we all aspire to, though.
“I am constantly saying sorry to my patients. Sorry that they had to wait weeks for a routine appointment with me, sorry that I kept them waiting past their appointment time because every consultation now is so complex that no matter how hard I try I cannot run to time.
“Sorry that the ambulance has not come, that they must wait so long for physiotherapy, or to see the counsellor. Hour after hour I apologise for a service that is not as good as it should be. I cannot change this and so it is morally distressing.
“If we had the proportion of the NHS Wales budget we are asking for, we would have a sustainable general practice, with better access for patients, and time to offer holistic, preventative medicine. This would be good for patients and would alleviate pressures on secondary care.”
The situation has prompted an exodus of experienced GPs, with over half of GP partners planning to leave the profession within the next three years.
Almost a third of salaried GPs are considering reducing their hours. Financial viability is another significant worry, with 80% of GPs expressing concerns about their practices’ sustainability.
The survey indicates that only 6.1% of the NHS Wales budget is allocated to General Medical Services, a decline from 8.7% in 2005/06.
BMA Cymru Wales is calling on the Welsh Government to introduce an urgent rescue package as part of their Save Our Surgeries campaign.
The package seeks a fairer allocation of the NHS budget, national standards for patient safety, and strategies to improve GP retention and recruitment. Measures to support staff wellbeing are also critical.
Support for these calls has been robust, with 704 GPs signing a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, urging immediate intervention to prevent the collapse of general practice in Wales.
Dr Rowena Christmas, Chair of RCGP (Royal College of GPs) Wales, added:
“I have been a GP for 25 years. I love my job and feel incredibly privileged to be able to support patients through their most frightening times. It has become almost impossible to provide the caring, quality service that we all aspire to, though.
“I am constantly saying sorry to my patients. Sorry that they had to wait weeks for a routine appointment with me, sorry that I kept them waiting past their appointment time because every consultation now is so complex that no matter how hard I try I cannot run to time.
“Sorry that the ambulance has not come, that they must wait so long for physiotherapy, or to see the counsellor. Hour after hour I apologise for a service that is not as good as it should be. I cannot change this and so it is morally distressing.
“If we had the proportion of the NHS Wales budget we are asking for, we would have a sustainable general practice, with better access for patients, and time to offer holistic, preventative medicine. This would be good for patients and would alleviate pressures on secondary care.”
Gareth Thomas, Welsh Lead for the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM), emphasised the critical need for budget restoration:
“Restoring the proportion of the NHS budget spent in general practice is paramount to secure the long-term financial sustainability for GP practices and enable GPs and their teams to provide the level of access that patients expect and deserve.
“Now is the time for the Welsh Government to prioritise General Medical Services before it’s too late.”
