The length of GP consultations is too short for many people with complex health needs because doctors are “ridiculously overworked”, according to the Royal College of GPs.
The average consultation length of 10 minutes in the UK – thought to be the shortest in the developed world – was “crazy” said the RCGP president, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard.
While simple health problems could be dealt with in 10 minutes, for people with complex health needs it was inadequate but GPs had to practise “demand management”, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.
“It is a crazy situation. GPs are ridiculously overworked and there are too few of us – the situation is on the brink.”
Research by the Health Foundation – based on polling of GPs from 11 countries, including Germany, France, Australia and the US – has suggested the amount of time spent by UK GPs with patients is the lowest in the developed world.
The data showed 92% of consultations in the UK are completed in under 15 minutes, compared with 27% in other countries.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the BMA, said: “We spend less than other European countries. We have fewer doctors than other European nations. We have one-third of the hospital beds per head compared to Germany, for example, GPs spend less time per patient than any other European nations. We need to be addressing these issues as a priority.”
Plans to “modernise” the NHS by reducing hospital care and putting more services in the community to save £22bn and make the system more efficient risked undermining care, she said.
The number of GP consultations has already increased by nearly a quarter in the past five years, and while funding for MPs will increase by 14% by 2020, the current infrastructure could not cope, said Stokes-Lampard. “If you haven’t got the infrastructure there you are setting yourself up to fail. It’s a case of putting the cart before the horse.”
Meanwhile, an Ipsos Mori poll for the BBC of 1,033 UK adults found a majority of the public would be open to a tougher approach on people who abuse the GP system.
Seven in 10 said charging people for missed appointments would be acceptable, while 51% said they were against paying to have a guaranteed appointment within 24 hours, although 20% said they would be willing to pay more than £10.
Stokes-Lampard said the issue of charging – which both the Royal College of GPs and the British Medical Association are against – was a “red herring”, as most people who used the GP did not pay for prescriptions and would not have to pay.
GP consultations too short for complex cases, says doctors" leader
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