NHS workforce data shows a ‘complete collapse’ in the number of available GP jobs in England, DAUK’s GP co-lead has warned.
Dr Steve Taylor has been analysing the data for a news article with GP Online and for his own social media.
The GP Online article reported that the figures showed that full-time equivalent GP jobs advertised in the first half of the financial year were down 43% compared to the same period in 2022/23.
This year’s total was 8% down compared with the same period in 2023/24, but up more than two fifths compared with 2024/25.
GP jobs
Dr Taylor told GP Online: “There were nearly twice as many jobs available three years ago. There still just aren’t enough jobs in general practice.
“ARRS may be providing an outlet for some newly-qualified GPs, but jobs are still way down – not just in terms of GP jobs but jobs for other staff too.
“All of that must imply that there is a significant absence of funding within GP practices to employ people.”
Dr Taylor continued to discuss the issue on his social media.
Complete collapse
He posted on the platform X: “If you strip the 2600 ARRS GP jobs (recruitment but not retained) then the job market has completely collapsed.
“Yet Wes Streeting and Stephen Kinnock sail on regardless ignoring the evidence.
“There is an iceberg ahead and general practice will sink.”
Dr Taylor highlighted the case of three GP registrars at Wilmslow Health Centre in Cheshire.
The health centre posted on its X account that all have passed their exams at the end of more than 10 years of training.
GP unemployment crisis
However, ‘in an NHS crying out for access, there are almost no GP jobs to apply for’, it posted.
“A manufactured GP unemployment crisis just as winter starts to hit hard?”
Dr Taylor questioned whether any newly-qualified GPs have a future with the figures showing job vacancies falling.
“Patients want GPs and GPs want to see patients,” he posted. “Fund GP practices now.”
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