One-third of GPs in England say they want to leave within five years, according to a regular survey that warns clinicians are particularly unhappy with the number of hours they work.
A survey of 2,195 general practitioners in 2021 found that 33% plan to leave “direct patient care” by 2026. The figure is a return to the levels last seen in 2015, after plans to leave its peak in 2018, when two out of five GPs wanted to stop seeing patients within five years.
GPs said they were struggling with increasing workloads, long hours, increased patient demand, not enough time to feel as if they could do their job properly, documentation and dealing with difficult patients.
The average level of job satisfaction, measured between the highest of seven and the lowest of one, decreased by 0.2 points from 4.5 in 2019 to 4.3 in 2021. GPs said they were particularly dissatisfied with the number of hours they have to work and the lack of recognition for good performance.
Professor Kat Checkland, who is leading the 11th two-year study on the professional life of GPs at the University of Manchester, said: “It is not surprising that job satisfaction has fallen among GPs during the pandemic.
“The fact that 16% of general practitioners under the age of 50 are thinking of leaving their jobs is worrying and suggests that work is still needed to ensure that the general practice is sustainable in the long run.
The percentages are even higher among general practitioners over the age of 50, with nearly two-thirds (61%) planning to stop working with patients within five years. Nearly three-quarters (70%) say they plan to reduce their working hours in the coming years, as do 37.9% of GPs under the age of 50.
However, more than half of the respondents (51%) said they were satisfied with their work as a whole, and most were satisfied with their colleagues and work environment. There is also a small decline in the number of hours that GPs worked part-time and full-time per week for the second consecutive study, from 40 hours in 2019 to 38.4 hours in 2021.
The survey, completed by 2,227 general practitioners, was used by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to inform the pay and dentist pay review body. The authors note that the study was conducted in the midst of a pandemic, when GPs struggled with “unprecedented” changes, including remote meetings, increased demand, critical media coverage and the need to wear personal protective equipment.
Richard Van Melaerts, executive director of the British Medical Association’s Committee of General Practitioners in England, said: “The fact that 61% of GPs over the age of 50 say they are likely to leave direct patient care in the next five years. the degree of staff crisis before the general practice. If these intentions come true, it will be a huge loss for the NHS and for the patients of highly qualified and experienced general practitioners.
“GPs and their teams are exhausted by the pandemic, battling a toxic combination of escalating patient demand, at a time when the number of fully qualified full-time GPs has dropped significantly. The number of GPs in England has been declining every year since the government first promised to increase the GP workforce by 5,000, and this study shows that more can be expected to leave if the government does not take action.
Add Comment