GP locuming has always been subject to seasonal changes: summers and school holidays are busy as GPs take annual leave, while January and September often see a fall as partners and salaried GPs put all hands to the pump.
However, headlines across trade magazines and national news strongly suggest that sessional GPs are struggling to find work outside of seasonal variation. Last March, GP Online reported on an anonymous GP’s decision to drive for Uber and a recent RCGP survey reported that long-term GP vacancies have halved from 44% in 2022.
As the leading support organisation dedicated to sessional GP work, we have brought a critical approach to scare-mongering headlines on this issue.