BMA survey highlights burden of bureaucracy on NHS GPs

The British Medical Association (BMA) has published results from a survey showing the concerns among NHS doctors over excessive bureaucracy.

According to the poll of more than 3,600 GPs, 97 percent say that bureaucracy and box ticking has increased in the past year, while 94 percent have noticed their workload has increased.

Moreover, 82 percent felt that some of their new targets were actually reducing the number of appointments available to the majority of patients, with 89 percent saying that more targets will not improve patient care.

It was also revealed that nine in ten GPs believe their practices will have fewer resources to work with next year, while almost the same percentage noted a reduction in their morale.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA's GP committee, said: "The BMA wants to work with the government to deliver real benefits to patients and remove the administrative burden that is putting pressure on already overstretched GP services."

The BMA has previously suggested that lightening the burden on GPs will aid government efforts to reduce pressure on accident and emergency departments.