GPs unfamiliar with national physical activity guidelines

The majority of doctors in England are unfamiliar with recommended levels of physical activity, a new report has revealed.

Fewer than two-thirds are confident about discussing the topic with their patients, the researchers also revealed.

Published in the British Journal of General Practice by co-author Justin Varney and colleagues at Public Health England (PHE), the study was based on an online questionnaire open to GPs in England in March 2016.

Participants were asked six multiple choice questions, ranging from whether they were familiar with the national guidelines on physical activity to selecting medical conditions around which they would discuss physical activity with a patient.

The results, based on answers from 1,013 doctors, reveal that only 20 per cent were familiar with the national guidelines regarding fitness, and 30 per cent admitting that they had never heard of them at all.

Only 78 per cent of doctors said they would discuss and recommend physical activity to overweight patients, while a mere 26 per cent said they would bring it up to patients living with dementia or cognitive decline.

The study also found that only 61 per cent of GPs said they were either very or somewhat confident about discussing physical activity with patients, with 16 per cent saying they were somewhat or very unconfident in raising the topic.

The authors say physical activity needs a greater emphasis during medical training, while more needs to be done to increase GPs’ awareness of training initiatives.

Co-author of the research, Justin Varney, said: “Many people have described [physical activity] as the most cost-effective drug we have, yet we are not implementing it properly. This is as appropriate as having a conversation about smoking.

“Being physically active is a separate conversation from losing weight. Whatever your weight, if you are more active than someone who is of the same weight and inactive you will be healthier.”

Responding to the results, Alice Smith, professor of lifestyle medicine at the University of Leicester, said: “Physical activity is a fundamental element of a healthy lifestyle, and more and more research is showing that it is effective in the prevention and management of chronic disease.

“It is vital that GPs at the forefront of healthcare are aware of this and know how to help their patients gain the wide-ranging benefits of an appropriately active lifestyle.”

Helen Stokes-Lampard, the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, responded by saying: “Ultimately, we need the pledges in NHS England’s GP Forward View – including £2.4 billion a year for general practice and an extra 5,000 full-time equivalent GPs by 2020 – to be delivered in full and as a matter of urgency so that GPs can spend longer with our patients and inspire them to make improvements to their lifestyle.”