SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, demands urgent action after a survey says a whopping 91% of GPs in Wales are unable to meet patient demand.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Health Minister, was commenting on a survey by BMA Cymru Wales which showed that 91% of GPs in Wales say they are unable to meet patient demand and 87% fear this is impacting patient safety following the closure of 100 surgeries.
As a harsh critic of the way in which the Welsh Labour Government runs the NHS in Wales, Mr Rowlands has repeatedly called for more to be done to encourage and retain GPs in Wales.
He said: “This latest data is extremely worrying and it is totally wrong that nearly all our GPs are feeling this sort of pressure and the knock on effect for patients.
“Our GPs need support and I would urge the Welsh Labour Government to start listening and taking action.
“I recently met with members of BMA Cymru Wales at the Senedd to discuss their ‘Save our Surgeries’ campaign and I fully support their calls for a rescue package to stop surgery closures.
“It is a scandal that all money received from the UK Government for health is not passed on to the health service in Wales. ”
The survey data also exposed an alarming 87% of GPs feared their rising workloads were impacting patient safety as Wales saw its 100th GP surgery close this year. With 100 fewer surgeries for patients to turn to, GPs now see up to 35% more patients each, causing unsustainably high workloads and burnout with doctors forced to work less than full-time to survive.
This is resulting in an exodus of experienced GPs, with over half, 53% of GP partners planning their exit in the next three years and almost a third, 31% of salaried GPs intending to work less than full-time.
That’s why BMA Cymru Wales is calling on the Welsh Government for an urgent rescue package for general practice as part of its ‘Save Our Surgeries’ campaign.
Dr Gareth Oelmann, chair of GPC Wales, said: “GPs from across Wales have shared their experiences with me, and we are all united in our fears about the future of general practice. GPs have told me about the impact on their own health and wellbeing and their huge concerns for their patients. It’s heartbreaking.
“With 95% of GP respondents to the survey telling us they feel negatively about the future of the service and some only giving it a year to survive, inaction is not an option.
“Our patients are already seeking private healthcare because of the huge waiting lists in secondary care and we’re seeing this trend in primary care. Without immediate action, this inequity will only deepen, impacting on the most vulnerable in our communities.”
