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23/04/2004
Department's figures do not give 'full picture', says BMA
The British Medical Association (BMA), while welcoming the increase in GP numbers, has said that the claims by the government "do not give the full picture".
The government claimed that GP numbers had increased by 2,131, but the BMA disputed these figures, and said that the figures did not take into account part-time posts in relation to full-time equivalents.
Dr John Chisholm, Chairman of the BMA's GPC, said: "The department quotes headcount figures but many of the new GPs will be working part-time in general practice. Using the government's own figures, we calculate that between September 1999 and September 2003 there was at best an increase of 1,323 full-time equivalent GPs in England over the four-year period.
"Today's figures show that new GPs recruited between September and December last year are equivalent to 108 full-time family doctors. This gives a picture of 1,431 full-time GPs over the NHS Plan period - a very welcome addition to the workforce but still far too few."
But Dr Chisholm said that while there had been "quite a substantial increase in numbers", the increase was "well short of the government's own target and a very long way indeed below the 10,000 extra GPs which the BMA and the Royal College of GPs claim are necessary to deliver the NHS Plan".
The government launched a GP Returner programme in 2002 in a bid to attract back doctors to General Practice posts and a golden hello scheme to GPs taking up first posts.
According to government figure released today some 1,200 GPs had been attracted by these incentives.
(SP)
The government claimed that GP numbers had increased by 2,131, but the BMA disputed these figures, and said that the figures did not take into account part-time posts in relation to full-time equivalents.
Dr John Chisholm, Chairman of the BMA's GPC, said: "The department quotes headcount figures but many of the new GPs will be working part-time in general practice. Using the government's own figures, we calculate that between September 1999 and September 2003 there was at best an increase of 1,323 full-time equivalent GPs in England over the four-year period.
"Today's figures show that new GPs recruited between September and December last year are equivalent to 108 full-time family doctors. This gives a picture of 1,431 full-time GPs over the NHS Plan period - a very welcome addition to the workforce but still far too few."
But Dr Chisholm said that while there had been "quite a substantial increase in numbers", the increase was "well short of the government's own target and a very long way indeed below the 10,000 extra GPs which the BMA and the Royal College of GPs claim are necessary to deliver the NHS Plan".
The government launched a GP Returner programme in 2002 in a bid to attract back doctors to General Practice posts and a golden hello scheme to GPs taking up first posts.
According to government figure released today some 1,200 GPs had been attracted by these incentives.
(SP)
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