Shropshire GP surgeries could close as workloads mount, medic warns

Dr Ian Rummens said general practice in Shropshire and across England and Wales was in a state of crisis due to recruitment problems and ever-growing workloads, causing high stress levels among medical professionals.

Dr Rummens, who is secretary of Shropshire Local Medical Committee and a partner at Cambrian Medical Centre in Oswestry, said many doctors are retiring as early as 50 or leaving GP practice, and not enough are being recruited to take their places.

He said: "It's a combination of workload and pressure on general practice.

"Another problem is the number of graduates in general practice has fallen. There used to be such competition, whereas now when medical students are interviewed they may not be interested in general practice or if they are they are, they are looking to go overseas, for example in New Zealand, Australia, Canada. It's the situation in general practice today I'm afraid."

Dr Rummens said current statistics reveal that 35 per cent of GPs intend to retire in the next couple of years.

"All it takes is for someone to retire or go off sick and that practice is then destabilised and struggles to cope with the workload," he said.

The GP pointed to the closure of medical practices in Machynlleth and Llanwrtyd Wells in Mid Wales as a sign of what was to come.

He said: "We can see that a crisis is coming. A couple of practices have been close to closing in Shropshire but haven't yet, but it's going to happen in the next 12 months. This isn't just a Shropshire problem, this is nationwide.

"Let's say for example my practice folds tomorrow, that's 12,000 people who no longer have a GP which then ramps up pressure on the surrounding surgeries."

According to Dr Rummens, a number of factors have added to GPs workload including an increase in the number of frail and elderly people with long term conditions and an increase in transferring work from hospitals to general practices.

Dr Rummens also criticised the actions of the Government which he said has contributed to the issues GPs are facing.

He said: "The Government has decreased funding for social care and public health which has resulted in an increase of care in the community. It's a knock-on effect.

"Then there's all the administrative hoops which we have to jump through when we're already under high levels of pressure."

Local medical committees across the country will attend a conference in London on January 30 to discuss what can be done to address the problems general practice is facing.