Primary care acts as the front door of the NHS, but like much of the health service, has never been under so much strain. General practice, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry services. Those who work within the sector say they are continually being asked to do more with less.
In February, a report from one of the country’s most influential health think-tanks said the lack of primary care investment is “ one of the most significant policy failures of the past 30 years” . The King’s Fund said the NHS in England “must be radically refocused” to put primary care at its core. And earlier this month the Royal College of GPs said the next government must end “totally unacceptable” waiting times for GP appointments .
Latest figures highlighted the unsustainable pressure on general practice, with buckling GP practices delivering more and more appointments, yet with fewer doctors. GPs and their teams delivered 30.3 million appointments in April 2024 – nearly 6 million (25 per cent) more than April 2019 – with about 880 fewer fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs than five years ago.
So what can be done? Dr Jay Verma, a London-based GP and president of the General Practice section at the Royal Society of Medicine, sets out his primary care manifesto to improve patient care and boost public health. 1. Expand the primary care workforce Address shortages by increasing the number of GPs, nurses, and other primary care professionals through enhanced recruitment.