County GPs are under enormous pressure to deliver services with some having thousands of patients per doctor.
Data released by the NHS shows how many full-time doctors are available alongside the number of registered patients at GP surgeries throughout the country. Amongst the busiest in the county are Cleveland Surgery in Gainsborough with 7363 patients per doctor and The New Coningsby Surgery with 7203 patients per doctor.
The departing Lincolnshire medical director Dr Kieran Sharrock said:
“General Practice are still having significant access and capacity issues and these issues are really based around two things, the ever-increasing workload and the unfortunately decreasing workforce”
“The doctors of Lincolnshire and England, are seeing more patients than it’s probably safe for them to see”
He expressed his concerns to the Lincolnshire County Council back in April during the Health Scrutiny Committee.
A spokesperson from the Royal College of General Practitioners, a professional body for GPs, expressed that the issue is not exactly as it seems on the surface.
“The number of doctors per patient is not necessarily representative of the issue, for example nurses are qualified to treat and advise on a range of issues that appear day to day at the GP surgery”
However, they did clarify that the burden cannot fall on nurses and the training of more doctors is a high priority for the country.
Patients can make a complaint directly to their GP surgery or to NHS England who will also provide advice and support throughout the procedure