Only one in five general practitioners (GPs) in England now work full-time, a significant decrease from pre-pandemic levels, according to an investigation utilizing NHS figures. This shift coincides with millions of patients experiencing an average wait time of 10 days for routine appointments.
In 2019, more than a quarter of GPs worked over 37.5 hours per week, but this figure has fallen to 18.7 percent. This translates to 7,314 full-time GPs out of England's 39,044 GPs, excluding trainees and locums. The trend is particularly pronounced among younger doctors aged 30 to 40, where only about 11 percent work full-time, down from 19 percent in 2019.
Younger medical professionals have cited the profession's stress and burnout as reasons for reduced working hours. Some are pursuing additional income through locum work, private healthcare roles, or consultancy positions. Online forums reveal discussions among doctors about the challenges of NHS workloads and the appeal of alternative employment, even with increased indemnity costs for private work.
In contrast, approximately one-third of GPs over 60 continue to work full-time, a proportion that has remained stable. This decline in full-time work among GPs occurs as access to routine care becomes more difficult for patients. Before the pandemic, 42 percent of appointments were booked on the same day, and an additional 20 percent were scheduled within two to seven days. Now, millions of patients struggle to secure face-to-face appointments, with a 12 percent increase in telephone consultations reportedly reducing in-person visits by 8 percent.
Concerns are growing about experienced GPs leaving the National Health Service (NHS) altogether. A poll by the Royal College of GPs indicated that nearly a third of GPs do not expect to be working in general practice by 2030, with stress identified as the primary driver of this potential "mass exodus." This raises fears of an NHS reliant on less experienced doctors working reduced hours.
Suggestions have been made that if GPs currently working three days a week or fewer increased their hours by just one day per week, it could effectively add the equivalent of 2,000 GPs to the workforce. However, leaders within the Royal College of GPs caution that the term "part-time" can be misleading. They explain that a GP's total workload extends beyond face-to-face clinical sessions and includes significant follow-up tasks such as reviewing test results, managing correspondence, making referrals, issuing prescriptions, and administrative duties. Many GPs who undertake fewer clinical sessions may still be working equivalent full-time hours due to these extensive non-clinical responsibilities.
The Department of Health and Social Care stated that it is working to improve NHS services by recruiting additional GPs, investing in the sector, and placing general practice at the center of its 10-year health plan. The department also highlighted recent improvements in patient experience and access, attributed to online services and the NHS app.