BMA study: GPs ‘close to breaking point’

The British Medical Association (BMA) has published the findings of a survey showing widespread dissatisfaction among GPs over the way the NHS is being run.

More than 15,500 UK GPs responded to the poll, with over nine in ten of those surveyed saying they feel their heavy workload has had a negative impact on the quality of patient care they are able to provide.

Meanwhile, only one in ten said they feel a ten-minute consultation is adequate, with 67 percent saying they feel there should be longer consultations for certain patients, such as those with long-term conditions.

GPs believe increased funding, longer consultation times, an increase in recruitment and a reduction in bureaucracy are the solutions that the next government needs to prioritise.

Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA's GP committee chair, said: "We need politicians of all parties to stop playing games with the NHS by making glib promises to voters which ignore the reality that many GP practices are close to breaking point."

The findings of the report were backed by the Royal College of GPs, which noted that GPs are now seeing more than 370 million patients a  year – 70 million more than five years ago – at a time when there is a severe shortage of doctors.