Over 90% of Wales’ GP feel unable to meet patient demand due to “unsustainable workload”

A survey by BMA Cymru Wales has revealed that 91 per cent of GPs are routinely unable to meet patient demand due to unsustainably high workloads affecting appointment availability.

The data paints a bleak picture of the current state of general practice in Wales, with an alarming 87 per cent of GPs fearing their rising workloads were impacting patient safety .

With the reduction in available surgeries, GPs are now seeing up to 35 per cent more patients, leading to unsustainable workloads and increasing instances of burnout. Many doctors have been forced to reduce their working hours to cope with the strain.

Dr Rowena Christmas, Chair of RCGP (Royal College of GPs) Wales, said it has become “almost impossible to provide the caring, quality service” that all GPs aspire to do.

“I have been a GP for 25 years. I love my job and feel incredibly privileged to be able to support patients through their most frightening times,” said Dr Christmas.

“I am constantly saying sorry to my patients. Sorry that they had to wait weeks for a routine appointment with me, sorry that I kept them waiting past their appointment time because every consultation now is so complex that no matter how hard I try I cannot run to time.

“Sorry that the ambulance has not come, that they must wait so long for physiotherapy, or to see the counsellor. Hour after hour I apologise for a service that is not as good as it should be. I cannot change this and so it is morally distressing.

“If we had the proportion of the NHS Wales budget we are asking for, we would have a sustainable general practice, with better access for patients, and time to offer holistic, preventative medicine. This would be good for patients and would alleviate pressures on secondary care.”

The situation has prompted an exodus of experienced GPs, with over half of GP partners planning to leave the profession within the next three years.

Almost a third of salaried GPs are considering reducing their hours. Financial viability is another significant worry, with 80 per cent of GPs expressing concerns about their practices’ sustainability.

The survey indicates that only 6.1 per cent of the NHS Wales budget is allocated to General Medical Services, a decline from 8.7 per cent in 2005/06.

Now the BMA Cymru Wales is calling on the Welsh Government to introduce an urgent rescue package as part of their Save Our Surgeries campaign.

The package seeks a fairer allocation of the NHS budget, national standards for patient safety, and strategies to improve GP retention and recruitment. Measures to support staff wellbeing are also critical.

Support for these calls has been robust, with 704 GPs signing a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, urging immediate intervention to prevent the collapse of general practice in Wales.

Dr Gareth Oelmann, Chair of GPC Wales, said: “GPs from across Wales have shared their experiences with me, and we are all united in our fears about the future of general practice. GPs have told me about the impact on their own health and wellbeing and their huge concerns for their patients.

“I’m afraid without a fairer portion of NHS funding, the situation is grave, and if general practice fails, the rest of the NHS will follow.

“Our patients are already seeking private healthcare because of the huge waiting lists in secondary care and we’re seeing this trend in primary care. Without immediate action, this inequity will only deepen, impacting on the most vulnerable in our communities.

“We know that if general practice was given a fairer portion of NHS funding for the wide-ranging portfolio of services we provide, the NHS in Wales would have a far greater chance of success, and most importantly, benefit patients overall.

“We’re asking for a rescue package to prevent further practices from closing their doors”.

Gareth Thomas, Welsh Lead for the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM), added: “Restoring the proportion of the NHS budget spent in general practice is paramount to secure the long-term financial sustainability for GP practices and enable GPs and their teams to provide the level of access that patients expect and deserve.

“Now is the time for the Welsh Government to prioritise General Medical Services before it’s too late.”