Exclusive Half of the GP trainees qualifying this summer are still looking for work, with over one third struggling to find an ‘appropriate role’, a new RCGP survey has found.
ST3 GP trainees taking part in the poll told the college that they feel ‘completely broken and demoralised’ due to the current job market, and that this period ‘has been the worst experience’ of their life.
The survey, which received 424 responses, revealed ‘significant concerns’ about finding employment among the cohort, as well as ‘significant difficulties’ with visa sponsorship.
The results, shared with Pulse, also showed:
- only 47% of the doctors surveyed have secured a role as a GP in the UK;
- of those securing work, 41% said the process was ‘moderately or very difficult’;
- 208 respondents (49%) are currently still applying for or considering work as a GP in the UK;
- 18 (4%) are not seeking work, with plans to either work as a GP abroad or to work in the UK but not as a GP;
- among the GPs looking for work, 149 – just over a third of the total respondents – have struggled to find an appropriate role
Most of those struggling to find appropriate work cited the lack of employment in the area they want to work in, but other reasons included issues with securing visa sponsorship, sufficient flexibility or sufficient pay.
The survey revealed that, on average, these trainees had applied for 13 GP roles each.
The RCGP survey also tracked geographical location, suggesting that Greater Manchester and Birmingham and Solihull are the ICB areas with the highest number of trainees looking for work.
One GP trainee responding to the survey said: ‘This is a real source of stress and anxiety and is pushing me to consider leaving general practice in the UK altogether.’
Another trainee said: ‘Training as a GP is regrettable considering current circumstances of job market.’
In May, Pulse reported on a warning from the BMA that ‘thousands’ of newly qualified GPs could be unemployed in August this year, due to a ‘nearly non-existent job market’ in areas such as the Midlands and northern England.
And NHS England primary care director Dr Amanda Doyle later admitted that the jobs that newly qualified GPs would want ‘are not there for them’.
The RCGP’s survey ran from 25 July to 8 August, which meant that responses were received both before and after the Government’s announcement on 1 August that ARRS funding will be available for newly qualified GPs.
The college told Pulse that there are 1,524 trainees in total who have been recommended for CCT and who will qualify between 25 July and 25 September.
RCGP survey results
Of the 424 ST3 respondents:
- 47% (198) have secured a role as a GP in the UK
- 86% (168) of these respondents will be salaried GPs
- 41% said the process of securing work has been moderately or very difficult
- 49% (208) are currently applying for or considering work as a GP in the UK
- 86% (149) of these respondents have struggled to find an appropriate role:
- 85% (127) of these respondents had struggled to find roles in the areas they want to work in
- 15% (23) struggled to find a GP role anywhere in the UK
- 29% (44) struggled to secure a role because they couldn’t find a practice that could sponsor their visa
- 34% (51) struggled to secure a role that was flexible enough to meet their needs
- 31% (47) struggled to secure a role that offered enough sessions
- 27% (41) struggled to secure a role that would pay sufficiently
- 86% (149) of these respondents have struggled to find an appropriate role:
- 4% (18) not seeking work as a GP in the UK
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- 56% (10) plan to leave the UK to work as a GP elsewhere
- 39% (7) plan to work in the UK but not as a GP
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- 56% (239) reported that they were an IMG
Source: RCGP
RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne said it is ‘absolutely staggering’ that there are not enough GP roles for trainees but ‘existing GPs are being pushed to breaking point’.
‘It’s especially worrying to see stark regional disparities in our findings, with GPs struggling hardest to find roles in areas that have higher levels of deprivation – potentially further entrenching health inequalities,’ she added.
Professor Hawthorne told Pulse that the expansion to the ARRS to include GPs is a ‘positive step’ but that ‘implementation will be vital’.
The college has suggested to health secretary Wes Streeting that ARRS GP roles should allow ‘geographical flexibility’, and the application process should be ‘streamlined’.
In the long term, the college has called for ‘far more investment into core funding for practices’ as well as the right to apply for indefinite leave to remain for international medical graduates (IMGs) on completion of GP training.
Responding to the RCGP’s findings, the Department of Health and Social Care said it is ‘absurd that patients are struggling to see a GP, yet GPs are struggling to find work’.
A spokesperson told Pulse: ‘We want to shift the focus out of hospitals and into the community, fixing the front door of the NHS and ending the misery of people waiting weeks for a GP appointment.
‘We have committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs by opening up the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to GPs and investing a further £82 million.’
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Are G.Ps really better than P.As ?
We used to have open areas and designated areas in 1980’s to start practices. This leads to competition to acquire more patients. Government should start incentive of stating practice in designated area where there is shortage of gps or list per doctor is above maximum acceptable. This would create jobs for gps and improve access.
no one cares and nothing is going to be done about this. The hospital is much more important to the Wes and his cronies than general practice. Apparently anyone can do this job.
Noctorland.
Obviously not if they’re John Graham Munro. Anyone else …well obviously yes.