GP 'burnout' a growing risk to patient safety, says retired Shropshire doctor

Many doctors working in Shropshire surgeries will become overtired and may make mistakes by working more hours due to increased workloads, says Dr Charles West, who worked in Church Stretton and Shrewsbury.

He expressed his fears after new figures revealed that GPs in England had a 19 per cent rise in consultations between 2009 and 2014 – adding up to an extra 61 patients each.

Increasing workloads, both during appointments with patients and after hours at the desk, are becoming so prevalent they could have a "negative and potentially disastrous impact" on doctors' ability to deliver safe and reliable care, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has said.

Dr West said: "I think GPs becoming overworked is an issue. A GP's workload has risen. If you have a great system like Shrop Doc and the GPs working the night shift can take the next day off then it works.

"However, as the workload increases, more and more GPs working the night shift feel they have to work the next day as well."

Dr Julian Povey, a GP at Pontesbury Medical Practice in Shropshire and clinical director at Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "As co-commissioners of primary care services in Shropshire, we work closely with local GPs and regularly monitor the services provided locally.

"Our first priority is to the patients and public of the county and we are committed to supporting our colleagues in primary care in any way we can to ensure they have the time and the tools to continue to do what they do best – caring for Shropshire people."

The RCGP report into working practices comes after a government promise to recruit thousands more GPs and make surgeries open seven days a week. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to create flexibility for working patients and allow vulnerable people to have longer appointments. But it prompted an angry backlash from medics who said they were already working long and often anti-social hours

The consultation paper launched by the RCGP will be sent to the Department of Health, NHS England, Care Quality Commission, General Medical Council and patient groups in a bid to open up a debate about GP fatigue and burnout.

RCGP chairman Dr Maureen Baker said: "GPs will always work in the best interests of their patients, even when they are putting their own health at risk. But ironically this can actually have an adverse effect on patient safety."

She added: "The current GP workforce in England is approximately 3,300 too small, with this shortfall projected to grow to 8,000 by 2020.

"GP fatigue is a clear and present danger."