Doctors reach breaking point

Health minister Hazel Blears plans to visit demoralised Sussex GPs during Parliament's summer break after hearing many were at breaking point.

She was told some surgeries were not taking on new patients and GP vacancies were failing to attract any candidates.

Doctors have given a cautious welcome to the visit. They said a lot of work was needed to urge people to join the profession and encourage those in it to stay.

Brighton GP Michael Evans said: "It is good people are finally recognising what we have been saying for months.

"The morale of GPs is very low at the moment and there needs to be a lot of changes.

"We are having to do endless paperwork and meet ever-increasing Government targets which means we have less and less time to actually talk and deal with patients."

Eastbourne GP James Forester said he knew of several GPs who had had enough and were planning to retire or move into private practice.

He said: "I don't think people realise just how serious things are.

"If GPs pull out of the NHS and are not replaced then ultimately it is the patients who suffer."

Mrs Blears was asked to visit Sussex by East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton.

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, Mr Loughton, who was backed by West Worthing MP Peter Bottomley and Arundel and South Downs MP Howard Flight, said GPs were under so much pressure they were ready to snap.

He said the last three GP vacancies in Worthing had not received any applicants.

Mr Loughton said: "Quite clearly the Government is not facing the reality of the situation and GPs are fed up with the warm words they have received.

"We risk many doctors leaving the NHS en masse. We even risk many GPs leaving the country or the profession altogether at a time when we can least afford it.

"We need help now before something really breaks. The current situation is not at all fair on our doctors. It is certainly not safe for our constituents."

Mr Loughton said the "acute problem" had been caused by a mixture of contributory factors including Worthing having the oldest population in the country.

About 14 per cent of residents are over 75 which is double the national average. Over 85s make up 5.1 per cent of the population, treble the national average.

GPs had to make more home visits and treat patients on a more regular basis.

Other pressures included the need to care for patients at the three local homes for long-term psychiatric patients and four homeless hostels for people with alcohol and drug problems. There was also a shortage of health visitors and practice nurses.

Mr Loughton said virtually all GP surgeries in the town had closed their lists to new patients.

GPs had warned him that they could not take on any more patients without the situation becoming "dangerous".

The problems faced by patients in Worthing are spreading to other parts of Sussex although the situation is not as critical.

Sean Kavanagh, business manager for Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Group, said surgeries in the area were approaching capacity but the group was monitoring developments.

He said: "I have not heard of GPs having to close their surgeries to new patients but many are reaching capacity. We are working closely with them to work out ways to ease problems.

"We are also trying to encourage patients to take advantage of other services, such as pharmacists who can offer basic advice and information about minor ailments."

Martin Campbell, from Brighton and Hove Primary Care Group, said: "We do have times when popular practices have to temporarily close their lists to new patients because they do not have the capacity to cope."

Mrs Blears said the Government was working hard to make life easier for GPs.

She said every surgery in the county had been given £10,000 to spend on service development and £100 million was being spent nationally on the recruitment and retention of GPs.

She added greater use was being made of nurse practitioners and NHS Direct to relieve the pressure on doctors.

James Slack Parliamentary Reporter