Patient safety in general practice is increasingly at risk due to overwhelming workloads, according to recent data and expert warnings from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and other health organisations. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the RCGP, has highlighted a critical and growing concern: doctors are unable to provide the quality of care they aspire to because of unsustainable pressures on their time and capacity.

At the opening of the RCGP’s annual primary care conference in Newport, data was revealed from a poll of over 2,300 GPs showing that nearly three-quarters (73%) believe patient safety is being compromised by the demands of their workload. Furthermore, over half reported that they do not have sufficient time to properly assess and treat patients during appointments, with 58% agreeing they lack time for adequate patient evaluation and 57% stating there is insufficient time to cultivate meaningful patient relationships essential for quality care. The poll also underscored the deteriorating mental health among GPs, with more than half indicating a decline in their own wellbeing over the past year.

Professor Hawthorne emphasised the daily reality confronting GPs: “It’s hard to find a GP who doesn’t feel they have to cut corners,” reflecting the strain on doctors striving to maintain standards despite the relentless pressures. She called for increased government investment in general practice, stating that without adequate funding and resources, the ambition to provide expanded and community-based services—as outlined in the Government’s 10-year health plan—remains unattainable. The Government aims to shift more care closer to patients' homes by introducing new neighbourhood health services, but significant concern remains among GPs regarding the lack of clarity around funding, the capacity to deliver these services, and GP shortages.

The RCGP poll revealed 68% of GPs are worried that there are insufficient numbers of family doctors to support these new models, and 65% expressed fears over unclear funding allocations and ambiguous roles GPs will play in the changes. Professor Hawthorne voiced a cautious sentiment commonly felt across the profession, describing the position as "caught between hope and scepticism" due to previous unmet promises despite repeated government rhetoric about moving care out of hospitals.

These findings align with broader surveys and studies conducted across the UK health sector. A separate RCGP survey found that 76% of GPs feel patient safety is compromised by workloads, with a considerable majority reporting inadequate time during consultations. The British Medical Association (BMA) survey mirrors these concerns, finding that over half of GPs describe their workload as unmanageable, with 27% branding it excessive, all factors negatively impacting their ability to deliver safe and high-quality care.

Beyond primary care, the consequences of excessive workloads extend to doctors in training, with General Medical Council (GMC) reports highlighting that more than half of trainee doctors regularly work beyond their contracted hours and many suffer from fatigue, increasing risks to patient safety. The GMC also notes that over a third of qualified GPs are at high risk of burnout, with nearly a quarter struggling weekly to provide adequate patient care—a reality contributing to job dissatisfaction and a potential crisis in retention.

The cumulative effect of these pressures is not limited to individual consultations but also affects systemic aspects of healthcare delivery, such as continuity of care. Research from Denmark illustrates that high GP workloads lead to longer waiting times and diminished quality, particularly jeopardising chronic illness management, mental health care, and support for elderly patients—all groups vulnerable to fragmented care when practices are overstretched.

Meanwhile, calls from frontline doctors and health professionals for urgent systemic improvements are increasingly urgent. Dr Sigi Joseph, cited by the BBC, describes the phenomenon as “doctor burnout,” exacerbated by chronic underfunding and overwork, noting that many doctors cannot even find time to take breaks or rest adequately between shifts. Such conditions, according to the Scottish health secretary, pose a formidable challenge in recruiting and retaining enough GPs to meet growing demand.

Professor Hawthorne stressed the importance of retaining experienced doctors in the profession to maintain service quality, lamenting the loss of valuable practitioners due to these pressures. Despite some government acknowledgement of the issues, she expressed frustration at the insufficient progress made towards addressing the retention crisis.

In summary, the overwhelming message from GPs and health leaders is clear: without significant investment and strategic support from government bodies, patient safety and the sustainability of general practice face serious jeopardy. Expanding community care is a worthy goal, but it cannot be realised without first addressing the immediate realities of GP workload, retention, and funding clarity.

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Source: Noah Wire Services