The UK is currently facing alarm over GP shortages after new estimates suggested a quarter of posts could be vacant in the next 10 years.
Across the country people have been complaining about not being able to get an appointment with their doctors. The current shortage of 4,200 full-time equivalent GPs in England is set to rise to 10,700 in 2030/31.
Dr Hilary appeared on Good Morning Britain today to discuss the issue with hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway. He said that the lack of GPs is "extremely concerning" as he explained that it takes ten years for someone to fully qualify as a family doctor.
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He said: "It's extremely concerning. As a GP with nearly 40 years experience, I'll tell you why it's so concerning. We are already at this point in time 4,200 GPs short of what we need to get back to pre-pandemic levels which was already seeing general practice under strain.
"4,200 GPs may not sound all that alarming but when you consider that each one of those would have 2,000 patients on their list, that's eight and a half million people who haven't got a GP as a result. That's why people can't get an appointment today, that's why people call up and they can't get through to their general practice.
"That is why GPs are under such huge stress and why they're getting abuse from patients. It's why they've got huge responsibilities and in a seven and a half minute consultation they know that they can't practice safe medicine.
"They can't examine a patient, take a history, do all the investigations and explain all the treatment choices in that time. Any barrister sitting in on that consultation would say 'you're negligent, I'll have you in court'. And that's why GPs are not wanting to do the job anymore."
He went on to add: "There's so many things wrong at the moment that it really worries me that if we see anything like the think tank say we are going to lose in the next few years the NHS will collapse. Without primary care secondary care will be overwhelmed."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV and the ITV Hub
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