Senior doctor calls for ‘black alert’ safety system in UK general practice

A survey has found that nearly half of GPs say they do not have enough time in their appointments to ensure patient safety. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Britain’s top family doctor is calling for a “black alert” system to be introduced in general practice so that doctors can warn when surgeries are dangerously over capacity.

It comes as a report reveals that almost half of GPs can no longer guarantee safe care for millions of patients, as a shortage of medics means they are unable to cope with soaring demand.