Leading Newspapers, including The Telegraph, Mail Online and Daily Express, have published news items on DAUK GP Team’s letter to the new Health Secretary.
The coverage from The Telegraph states DAUK’s forecast suggesting 16 million people in England could be left without access to a family doctor, amid staff shortage.
The news quotes DAUK’s GP lead Dr Lizzie Toberty.
“Dr Lizzie Toberty, GP lead for the Doctors’ Association UK, said the workload of a family doctor now placed “unrealistic demands” on them.
She said: “GPs will cut their hours, quit the NHS, or quit the country. We fear patients will suffer the same ‘postcode lottery’ for seeing their GP as many do now with getting an NHS dentist.””
The Mail Online’s headline reads, “Up to 16 MILLION patients could lose their GP in next decade: Doctors warn NHS is a ‘sinking ship’ that is ‘making us ill'”.
The coverage talks about the 10 step plan, which includes: practice funds to be increased based on how many contacts GPs make, as opposed to the current patient-list sizes; paid administrative time to cope with paperwork, as well as a pause on ‘activity towards extending access’.
Daily Express‘ coverage says “One in four could be without a GP within ten years, campaigners warn”.
They quote DAUK’s letter, signed by DAUK members and GP colleagues, which highlighted the death of Dr Gail Milligan, a GP and mother of two who took her own life in July.
The news further covered the suggestions made by DAUK to stabilise primary care.
