More than half of GP practices are opening for fewer than eight hours a day – with more than 1,500 opening for under five hours daily, a Telegraph investigation reveals.
Hmm
More than half of GP practices are opening for fewer than eight hours a day – with more than 1,500 opening for under five hours daily, a Telegraph investigation reveals.
Hmm
Those terribly hard working female GPs.
The problem has been the push by the government to get more women into the medical profession. Which results in more doctors going on half time. Which results in fewer hours available for patients.
“Which results in more doctors going on half time.”
Which also results in part-time GPs with less experience of treating patients….
The envy of the world: http://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/02/why-wouldnt-our-nhs-saints-help-a-dying-man/
Anecdotal, I know, but… The mother in law was, until recently retired at 66, a GP.
In fairness she worked bloody long hours ( minimum 72 a week ) and was by all accounts bloody good at her job. It does seems to be the younger generation that think working long hours is some sort of personal affront.
It did though rather make me contemptuous of those GPs whinging about working hours. She was spectacularly well rewarded. The pay itself was well in to six figures, but if you’re a partner the NHS also essentially buys your surgery for you ( hers is in East London. Leeching! ). And that’s before we get to the £45k a year pension.
It also amuses me that those that go into a shaking rage at private providers in the NHS somehow give GP services a free pass. Murphy for example.
Bloody autocorrect. Was meant to be Kerching! Not Leeching.
Surely the problem here is school times? Speaking to some of my European colleagues, Britain is unusual in having schools that finish at 3pm / 3:30pm. On the continent they’re open til 5pm. (Commenters living abroad: feel free to correct me.)
GPs don’t work for the NHS. They work for private companies or partnerships and the permanent ones are often partners or directors – having bought into the company.
We have quite a large GP surgery now, open about 10 or 11 hours a day. Not all the GPs work those hours and we do have locums too.
Its funny really, you don’t come across poor GPs often – with the exception of RM’s wife.
Bloke in Wales – here luckily the ambulance crew do lift.
Father in law collapsed onto the floor last year in late summer, wife couldn’t lift him so had to call an ambulance.
They eventually took him away rather than leave him sat in his chair.
If my wife falls over I have to get others to help her up, I cannot lift her or indeed any adult.
Had car mechanics lift her when she fell on a car park once.
Was at the NEC on Sunday, just used the lift to get to the skyway from by hall 4. Its quite a steep ramp from the lift and some kind lady helped my wife by pushing her wheelchair up the ramp until more level ground.
Lots of nice people about, not all however.
There is more to this than meets the eye.
For example, I know one small GP surgery (in the north west) serving a relatively small community (guessing 1,000 or so) that simply doesn’t need to be open more than a few hours a day.
If it closed, everyone in that (older emphasis) community would need to drive or take a bus to a larger town to see a GP. It even suits the GP (living there) well, heading nearer to retirement.
Ie, it’s a win-win for all concerned.
If you look at the so called “worst offender” areas in the article, there is clearly some “more rural” element.
The solution to too much government? More government.
Our GP surgery shuts when they are making house calls, which they do for the housebound.
Martin said:
“Its funny really, you don’t come across poor GPs often”
Lots of them are very poor GPs. But they still have lots of money.
Which reminds me of another dire PwC joke…
Q. A rich accountant, a poor accountant and Santa Claus see a £20 note on the pavement. Which one of them picks it up?
A. The rich accountant. The other two don’t exist.
@So Much For Subtlety, February 11, 2017 at 6:06 am
“Those terribly hard working [part-time] female GPs.”
+1
SMFS nails it. My mother & Mrs Pcar say the same.