We had 234 unique practice responses from our 1,121 practices, which is around 21% of our practices.
Recruitment and retention challenges in general practice have a direct impact on patients. Responses to our most recent survey reflect the circumstances and concerns of practices responsible for a quarter of the Capital’s registered patients, with the total list size of responding practices standing at 2,504,500.
Also:
- Nearly half of responding practices (44%) are reporting vacancies, and 70% of these are lacking at least one GP.
- The total list size of responding practices with vacancies is 1,163,250. That’s at least 10% of London’s patients reliant on short staffed general practice teams, based on a response from 21% of practices.
- Whilst nearly a million patients (902,500) are registered with a practice from which GPs plan to retire within the next three years.
- Almost a third of responding practices say they feel pessimistic about being able to safely meet patient need over the coming months.
- An increasing number of practices say that their ability to deliver safe patient care is being impacted by workload shift from other workers. 77% compared to 72% last wave.
- And 90% of those practices say that they are unable to absorb that additional workload. Lack of appointments is the reason most cited as most concerning by the staff team when discussing how to meet patent demand safely.
- Only 24% of practices, when asked how they feel about being able to safely meet patient need over the coming winter months, feel optimistic. Down from 29% last wave.
A set of selected slides from the final report can be viewed here.
Thank you again for taking the time to provide us with this valuable information. The data gathered from previous workforce surveys has been used in a number of ways to support our work advocating for you, including:
- Obtaining coverage of London’s GP workforce crisis in dozens of articles and reports, including on the front page of a national newspaper.
- Securing briefings, meetings and practice visits with MPs and Assembly Members from the main political parties representing London.
- Being invited to submit evidence to Parliamentary committee enquiries.
- Showing commissioners and the other bodies which make up London’s health landscape that GP practices are facing significant workforce issue.