The general practice workforce is currently in crisis. In 2021/2022, there was an estimated shortage of 4200 full-time equivalent, fully qualified, permanently employed GPs in England, with recent surveys suggesting that 71% of GPs in the UK find their job ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful. And the near future looks to be potentially worse — the Royal College of General Practitioner’s 2022 survey reports that 42% of GPs in England are likely to leave the profession in the next 5 years, and The Health Foundation predict that, without any policy action, there could be a one in two shortfall of GPs by 2030/2031.1,2 In an article published in the British Journal of General Practice, we discuss the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan for general practice and assess whether it can provide the policy solutions to mitigate this workforce crisis.
NHS budgets are under considerable pressure. It is therefore unsurprising that many NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) In England will aim to prioritise price in contract awards, But this approach is a significant threat to community-centred healthcare. While competitive tendering is a legally required, an excessive focus on costs in awarding NHS contracts risks overshadowing key factors such as established community trust, local expertise, and the long-term impact on continuity of care. This shift towards cheaper, often external, commercial providers threatens to cut the links between communities and their local health services. The argument that competitive tendering is solely about legal compliance, and not cost, is undermined by the very nature of such tendering, which by design encourages the lowest bid. This approach risks eroding the social fabric of local healthcare provision, where established relationships and understanding of specific community needs are essential. Establishe...
Comments