How we stop GPs 'leaving for Dubai' as the NHS turns 75

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

They've been described as the 'beating heart' and the 'backbone' of the NHS. And for most of us our local doctor is our first and most frequent point of contact with the health service. GP surgeries deal with about 90% of NHS patient contacts for around 10% of the overall budget.

But with a shortage of more than 2,000 GPs in England alone and with doctors quitting in unprecedented numbers amid concerns about the 'unsustainable' workload, what does the future hold for general practice? As the NHS turns 75 we spoke to a number of GPs and health bosses across Greater Manchester and the UK to hear their thoughts, fears and hopes for the profession. Dr Kamran Khan, a GP at Unsworth Group Practice in Westhoughton, Bolton, is the chair of Bolton GP Federation.

He said: "General practice, like the rest of the NHS, is working beyond capacity on a daily basis. Demand is through the roof and I don't think that's necessarily just down to covid, it's been coming for a while and covid just accelerated it. "It can be incredibly frustrating for patients when they're not able to access services.

It's incredibly frustrating for staff as well. "But the enthusiasm for the NHS is still there. There is an unstinting loyalty, but you cannot take that for granted.