Patients deserve more GPs, says College

Responding to a Cambridge University study revealing worsening GP shortages in disadvantaged areas, Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

"All patients should have access to the best possible GP care, regardless of their circumstances or where they live, but a decade of under-investment in general practice means we simply don't have enough GPs to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population."

"People living in deprived areas tend to have a greater number of long-term health conditions and more complex health needs, and therefore often require greater access to GP care and services. Urgent funding is needed for initiatives to attract GPs to under-doctored areas, as well as recruiting more GPs to the profession overall and preventing the ones we do have from burning out. The College has been calling on the Government to urgently deliver on its manifesto pledge of 6,000 additional GPs by 2024."

"GPs are gearing up for an exceptionally busy autumn and winter, delivering the expanded flu vaccination programme as well as the Covid booster campaign, on top of managing the fallout and backlog from the pandemic. It is more essential than ever that general practice has the workforce capacity to manage both new and existing pressures, so that GPs can continue to deliver high-quality care to patients, wherever they happen to live."

Further information

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RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7633/7494/7574
Out of hours: 020 3188 7659 
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editor

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 53,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.