Leading GP registrars Dr Victoria McKay and Dr Cheska Ball warned that GPs were working in low-paid roles or seeking unemployment benefits due to the workforce shortage in the UK, in an exclusive new interview for Pulse.
The co-chairs of the BMA’s GP registrars committee said that many GPs worry that the lack of employment will put their membership of the Performers’ List at risk if appraisers raise concerns about it.
Dr Ball told Pulse: “There are individuals picking up sessions, so work for half a day, a full day, for free, because they need to stay on the performers list, which is a real issue.”
The problem is likely to hit registrars and newly-qualified GPs hardest because of their lack of experience, both doctors warned.
However, the sessional GP workforce crisis is widely reported and GPs have already raised concerns at grassroots level about the risk of low-volume work.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “This situation highlighted by Pulse reveals a triple paradox facing GPs. Firstly, our vocational commitment leads some to work unpaid, putting them at an economic disadvantage. Secondly, a national GP unemployment crisis exists amidst a desperate need for more appointments, yet practices often cannot afford to hire. Thirdly, accepting unpaid work, and practices exploiting this, severely undervalues our profession and the vital role of GPs.
“These paradoxes highlight a critical issue requiring urgent attention. While GPs are driven by a desire to serve our patients, the current system is forcing us into an untenable position, and undermines the value of our expertise and risks further exacerbating the workforce crisis. Who in their right mind would want to train to be a GP with this going on?
“The government needs to urgently recognise these paradoxes and implement tangible solutions. Failing to address these issues will only worsen the current strain on general practice and ultimately harm patient care.”