- Government told “the family GP is a thing of the past” as GP crisis worsens
- Older people most likely to never see the same GP despite warnings from health groups
- Lib Dem Leader calls for over-70s and those with long-term health conditions to see the same GP for every appointment
- New plans would cover around 19 million patients across the country, and be crucial for people with long-term care needs
New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has led to the government being warned “the family GP is a thing of the past”, with people reporting to never see the same GP for every appointment.
Almost half (47%) of UK adults who have been to see their GP more than once in the last couple of years say they have rarely or never seen the same GP for every appointment. Of these, almost one in five (18%) say they have never seen the same GP in the past few years.
This number rises for those aged over 65, with a staggering quarter (27%) never seeing the same GP. This is despite research showing that seeing the same GP helps the elderly avoid hospital admissions and improves the quality of treatment.
The Liberal Democrats are announcing a new policy to ensure all those over 70 and those with a long-term health condition has access to a named GP. Both of these groups have been found to benefit the most from access to the same GP, and the policy would also include those with long-term mental health conditions.
The British Medical Journal also found people who have kept the same GP for more than 15 years had a 25% lower chance of dying, compared to those with a GP relationship lasting a year or less.
The new polling also found approaching half (46%) of UK adults who have been to see their GP more than once said the wait to see the GP for every appointment is considerably longer. Worryingly, this again rises to over half (55%) of those aged over 65, a patient group at higher risk of changing GPs.
The region worse for people never seeing the same GP for every appointment is the South East of England, where a quarter (25%) say they never see the same GP.
The Liberal Democrats are also campaigning for 8,000 more GPs to be recruited in response to a GP waiting times crisis.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:
It is a scandal that under this government’s watch, the family GP has become a thing of the past.
Pensioners are not receiving the care they need because doctor surgeries are swamped, leaving waiting times spiralling out of control. We need a return to the family GP, starting with older people and those with long-term health conditions.
We want to see the return of the named GP, so patients with complex care needs see the same GP and don’t have to waste time going over the same details every time they see a doctor.
This would provide vital personalised care for those who need it most, helping people lead healthier lives, independently in their own homes wherever possible.
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8 Comments
When you say “Seeing” a GP, you mean on a screen ? Actually being in the same room as a GP doesn’t happen any more where I live.
@ Paul Barker ““Seeing” a GP, you mean on a screen ? Actually being in the same room as a GP doesn’t happen any more where I live”.
Sorry to disappoint…. in due fairness must report it as it is where I live (Scotland). It doesn’t happen on a screen for me here, because I usually get a same day appointment with the same G.P., (had one this morning, 9.00 a.m.), and…..no charge for car parking on my six monthly hospital check up in Edinburgh, or tomorrow for my covid vaccine top up at the very recently built local community hospital.
Not all doom and gloom up here despite the cataclysmic self inflicted pirouettes of the outgoing First Minister.
“See”, but when? Calls to our medical group result in the prospective patient having to state whether it’s “urgent” or “routine”.
I know someone suffering from anxiety, some depression and constant tiredness who opted last week to say “routine” and was given an appointment in five and a half weeks time. Surely “routine” should only encompass ongoing periodic visits for an already diagnosed condition?
OK, devil’s advocate time! Sometimes you can get in a rut with a GP and a different pair of eyes on the same subject can help. Extraordinary testimony to parliament recently from the journalist Naga Munchetty and others about how their GPs gaslighted them for years about very serious gynaecological conditions.
Having just moved to a new surgery, I’ve found that the best way to get an appointment with the GP that I want to see is to walk down to the surgery at 8:00 AM and ask for an appointment with him. Of course that fails if he isn’t in and in that circumstance I have to come back. But, you can’t book an appointment in the future at all. As I am blind and suffer from various health conditions I want to see the same person, especially when I’ve built up a good rapport.
I also think it would be nice to be able to see the same GP every time (with the option to see someone different if you wish, to answer Ruth’s point). But is there actually anything stopping that today? Other than that you typically have to wait so long for a GP appointment that most people will simply take the first available appointment with no matter which Doctor, rather than waiting an extra week to get to see the same person they saw last time. So I’m not sure what policies we could offer to make a difference, other than the obvious (but very difficult) getting waiting times for non-urgent appointments back down to the couple of days that they would’ve been 20 years ago.
Also a devil’s advocate (and work closely with the general practice sector)
Whilst continuity is helpful and is generally already in place for older patients (where possible), the same person isn’t always a great idea as sometimes second opinions are desirable. The recently enacted Martha’s law is a testament to this.
GPs come together into larger practices because they benefit from economies of scale and can provide more services. Having a number of doctors working in one practice means that the 1st appointment that is available is likely to be with a different doctor to the one you saw last time. Any time you see any healthcare professional they are always going to ask you for what has happened recently. What happens if your ‘named GP’ is on holiday/sick/training/busy? That is why we have medical records; so that you don’t need to keep being asked the same questions. Do you really think a named GP will remember every detail of every patient?