Despite a shortage of doctors, a BMA survey finds that one in five GPs in England plan to change their career because they can’t find any or enough work as a doctor.
In a survey of more than 1,400 family doctors, one in five GPs in England told the British Medical Association (BMA) that they plan to change their career because they can’t find any or enough work as doctors.
A further 47% said they were expecting to make changes. The most popular change considered is to take clinical jobs outside of the NHS (43%), but respondents also considered taking up GP opportunities abroad (40%) and, for some, leaving healthcare altogether (38%)
The BMA survey confirms the finding of a general practice workforce report from Cogora that Healthcare Today reported on in January which highlighted both staff shortages in the NHS and a shortage of jobs.
“At a time of immense pressure on the NHS, and patients waiting too long to be seen, it’s ridiculous that so many GPs can’t find work,” said Mark Steggles, chair of the BMA’s sessional GP committee.
Rising costs and underfunding
“These findings confirm our worst fears. Not only is the issue spreading through the profession, but it’s also leaving many wondering why they should bother staying in the NHS at all, further depriving patients of the vital care they need,” he continued.
The BMA’s first survey on GP under- and unemployment last year, found that locums were struggling to find roles. The latest figures show that other GPs, mainly salaried, are also now struggling to find a job.
Rising running costs and underfunding in general practice have made it harder for practices to hire the staff they need. As a short-term solution, the government expanded the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) – a ring-fenced fund for hiring non-GP staff – to include GPs.
It is not, however, seen as a real solution because it offers only fixed-term roles to 1,000 newly qualified GPs. Because there are so few available positions, they are often miles away from where GPs live.
