MOUNTING pressures on GPs could be threatening the quality and safety of patient care, says a leading Swindon doctor.

Dr Peter Swinyard, from Toothill’s Phoenix Surgery agreed with the results of a survey by the British Medical Association, which revealed the majority of GPs questioned found their workload unmanageable or excessive and directly affecting patient care and safety..

“I absolutely agree that increased pressure and workload can impact on patient safety. As a GP you have the opportunity to make a complete mess-up of someone’s life or transform it in 10 minutes but the role has changed and more than ever before is expected of doctors, more patients, and more paperwork,” he said.

“I would say the quality of care hasn’t been affected but that comes at great personal cost, with GPs having more and more responsibility lumped upon them.

“GPs are not exempt from being human and making monumental cock-ups because with any job there is increasing pressure to perform. Luckily this doesn’t happen very often and we have a learned behaviour where we instinctively check if something doesn’t seem quite right.”

Dr Swinyard, who has been a GP for more than 30 years, said the landscape of the profession had changed due to increased workplace pressures.

“10, 20 years ago you would see GPs working long past the age of 65, now you see people hanging up their stethoscopes from the late 50s which is so disappointing that we are losing that wisdom and wealth of experience.”

“The government needs to make a concerted effort to illustrate what the role of a GP is, that is the only way. The only way the GP practice can survive is if changes are made and people aren’t directed to the GP if they have ailments which don’t require an appointment, like a sore throat.”

The survey, which drew responses from 5,025 GPs found 57 per cent of GPs believe workload pressures are unmanageable, and 27 per cent found their workload to be excessive and having a direct impact on the quality and safety of patient care.

Only one in 10 (10 per cent) described their workload as manageable.

GPs offered up options to tackle the problems including increased provision of community nurses to manage vulnerable housebound patients ( 64 per cent) and greater numbers of mental health workers ( 53 per cent) in the community.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA GP committee chair, said:

“This major survey that GP practices across the country are struggling to provide safe, high-quality patient care because of unmanageable workload. Many practices are being overwhelmed by rising patient demand, contracting budgets and staff shortages which has left them unable to deliver enough appointments and the specialist care many patients need.

“Addressing the crisis in general practice requires a clear strategy that tackles the numerous problems undermining local GP services.

“Better information for patients about how to safely self-care and wider funding increases for general practice are also needed.

We cannot continue to have a service that cannot deliver a safe and effective level of care to the public.”