A lack of jobs is forcing GPs out of the NHS with some taking up work as Uber drivers to pay the bills, experts have told Sky News.
The “ridiculous” situation has been blamed on chronic underfunding and the rising costs of running a general practice – meaning there is not enough money to recruit.
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It comes at a time when demand for GP appointments is greater than ever, with medics fearing the situation will get worse once the rise in employers’ national insurance comes into effect in April, as GP surgeries are not exempt.
According to a new survey by the British Medical Association (BMA), one in five GPs in England are already planning a career change because they can’t find any or enough work.
The poll of 1,400 family doctors tallies with the findings of a survey by Dr Steve Taylor of 1,000 GPs, which found one third are either underemployed or out of work.
Dr Taylor, a Manchester-based GP of 30 years and a spokesperson for the Doctors Association, told Sky News he was aware of some newly qualified GPs working gig economy jobs like Uber drivers “as a fill in just to pay the bills”.
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He said: “In simple terms practices haven’t had enough money to employ the new GPs that we are training, so there are doctors that are unemployed and a large proportion of GPs are under employed – so they are not working hours they’d want to work.”
He added that “four years ago that wouldn’t have been an issue”, with one applicant going for a salaried job at his practice back then – compared to 30 applicants competing for one job now.
Dr Taylor called the situation a “crisis” and said his “big worry” is that “will we end up with a two-tier system like dentistry”, with private providers sucking up out-of-work GPs.
‘Ridiculous GPs can’t find work’
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The BMA’s survey said 47% of respondents were expecting to make changes to their career – with the most popular option being to take clinical jobs outside the NHS (43%).
Respondents also considered taking up GP opportunities abroad (40%) and leaving healthcare altogether (38%).
Dr Mark Steggles, chair of the BMA’s sessional GP committee, said: “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.
“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.”
What has the government done?
The survey comes after a study by the Health Foundation found access to a GP is the public’s top NHS concern – posing a potential headache for the government as it prioritises bringing down hospital waiting lists in its plan to fix the health service.
The government said in December it would give GPs an extra £889m to slash red tape and spend more time with patients.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has sought to address the recruitment problem by expanding the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) – a £1.4bn funding pot introduced in 2019 to hire non-GP roles, such as dieticians and social prescribers, across Primary Care Networks (PCNS).
PCNS are groups of GP practices, and last summer Mr Streeting announced £82m boost to the scheme so it could be expanded to GPs, in response to unemployment concerns.
But experts said it is not a long-term solution as it only applies to 1,000 newly qualified GPs on fixed-term contracts – making the roles hard to fill. The job also requires working across as many as 15 practices within one PCN, often at lower salaries as the reimbursement rate is at the bottom end of the GP pay scale.
The BMA said money for extra staff should go directly to GP practices and the amount should be increased, warning of a “mass exodus” if nothing is done.
Mr Steggles said there is a “real risk” of a huge increase of unemployment rates in August, when 4,000 new GP trainees will qualify.
The rise in employer NI could also exacerbate the situation, said Shropshire GP Jessica Harvey, who added practices are already being “squeezed” by the cost of living with no spare cash to recruit.
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“It’s an unprecedented crisis,” she said. “There’s not enough GPs, we can’t afford more doctors, practices are closing, patients are suffering from chronic underfunding and to have NI placed on top of that is causing an incredible amount of unnecessary stress.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government inherited a ludicrous situation where patients can’t get a GP, yet qualified GPs couldn’t get a job.
“We acted immediately to cut red tape and have already proposed the biggest boost to GP funding in years – an extra £889m.
“We are committed to recruiting an extra 1,000 GPs as promised.”
