Another Shropshire GP backing call for appointments limit
Another Shropshire GP has backed calls for doctors to be limited to 25 appointments a day, warning those who are tired and "over-busy" are more likely to make mistakes.
Dr Rob Richards, of Drayton Medical Practice in Market Drayton, described it as a "sensible" suggestion after also warning overworked GPs are likely to end up leaving general practice or going off sick.
The British Medical Association has suggested that appointments should be lengthened to 15 minutes and limited to 25 a day in a bid to stop general practice being "run into the ground".
The proposals come as part of "Safe Working Levels in General Practice", a report which discusses measures which could help tackle the growing workload of GPs.
Appointments are normally allocated 10 minutes, meaning that some doctors see up to 60 patients a day.
Dr Richards said: "Tired and over-busy GPs are more likely to make mistakes, or end up leaving general practice, or going off sick, so I think this is a very sensible suggestion."
His comments come after Shrewsbury GP and Shropshire Star columnist Dr Mary McCarthy gave her support to the idea.
Dr Richards said: "The obvious question though is who will pay for the extra GPs needed and are there enough of them available?
"Even if we cannot achieve this now it is certainly worth having as an aspiration for the future."
The BMA has said the current 10-minute appointments do not give GPs enough time to treat patients with complicated needs.
BMA GPs committee executive team member Brian Balmer said: "In a climate of staff shortages and limited budgets, GP practices are struggling to cope with rising patient demand, especially from an ageing population with complicated, multiple health needs that cannot be properly treated within the current 10-minute recommended consultation.
"Many GPs are being forced to truncate care and deliver an unsafe number of consultations, seeing in some cases 40 to 60 patients a day.
"This is well above the 25 consultations per day, which is the recommended level in many other EU countries."
Meanwhile, Market Drayton's medical practice has launched a new system in a bid to tackle increasing waiting times. It has taken on board comments from patients and staff, and as a result is trialling some changes to its appointment system.
Doctors have instructed reception staff to ask the nature of the patient's problem in order to signpost the person to the most appropriate type of help.
