Calls for 5,000 GPs to be trained a year

The Royal College of General Practitioners has said that 5,000 doctors need to train to be GPs every year to meet government targets to increase the workforce by at least 5,000 full-time equivalent GPs.

There are currently 3,500 placements for GP training a year, with more junior doctors having chosen to specialise in general practice than ever before this year. However, the RCGP warns that these numbers must increase to at least 5,000 a year as soon as possible, and for this to be funded appropriately.

Helen Stokes-Lampard, RCGP chair, has written to the Treasury urging for the government to use the forthcoming Spending Review to boost the budget for education and training of GPs and other healthcare professionals by at least 3.6 per cent – which would amount to an immediate increase of £160 million.

She said: “The Interim People Plan set out laudable aspirations on the development of the NHS workforce, but we are deeply concerned that current levels of funding are not sufficient to deliver this. It is crucial that more is done to retain the hardworking GPs we currently have. There has been some success with locally funded GP retention schemes, but the £13 million currently allocated is woefully insufficient...expanding the local funding for GP retainer schemes by an additional £72 million could have a significant effect in preventing much needed experienced GPs leaving general practice.”