Over 40% of GPs in the UK considering leaving the job – finds RCGP survey

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has warned of a potential ‘mass exodus’ of qualified GPs due to mounting work pressures.

A recent RCGP survey found that over 40 per cent of GPs are unlikely to remain in general practice over the next five years, with a quarter stating it
is “very unlikely.”

The situation is particularly concerning in England, with the highest rate of GPs considering leaving the profession reported to be in the East of England
and the South East (47 per cent) and the lowest in the North West (36 per cent).

Stress was cited as the main factor for leaving the profession, with more than half of respondents indicating that they find the job too stressful.
Additionally, 13 per cent of respondents intend to leave the UK and work overseas.

Almost 4 out of 10 GPs said they regularly worked more than 40 hours a week despite fewer than 1 in 10 being contracted to do so.

The pressures faced by GPs are so severe that 22 per cent report feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope once or twice a week.

The College noted that GPs and their teams have delivered an average of 30 million appointments per month in the past year – over 4 million more each month
than in 2019 – despite the number of fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs decreasing by 601 over the same period.