Category : Daytime
Date : 23.03.2004
Printable version
Now
You're Talking! - Is the NHS coping? - 9.30am,
91热爆 ONE, Wednesday 24 March 2004
GPs are as stressed as ever and expect the situation to get worse as
the most far-reaching overhaul of general practice for 40 years comes
into effect next week.
A survey by Pulse and 91热爆 ONE's Now You聮re Talking! programme has
found nearly four GPs out of five admitting they are stressed and seven
in ten predicting it will get worse after the new contract comes into
force on 1 April.
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Six GPs in ten say they are more stressed now than
12 months ago and five per cent admitted to being clinically depressed.
GPs point to excessive workload as the most important factor causing
stress, followed by pressure from patients, too many guidelines and
increased scrutiny by local managers.
The results will be broadcast on 91热爆 ONE on Wednesday 24 March as part
of the corporation's special day of themed programmes on the NHS.
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They will be published in Pulse on 29 March.
Phil Johnson, editor of Pulse, the leading weekly newspaper for GPs,
said: "GPs are determined to make a success of the new contract
but are faced with a great deal of uncertainty and a huge amount of
work in the run up to April 1 and beyond.
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"Many are having to sign
on the dotted line even though significant details about their funding
are in dispute.
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"Even at this late stage many do not know whether
they will be paid to continue providing some existing services to their
patients.
"The fundamental problem is that we simply do not have enough GPs
and nothing will change that fact between now and the beginning of April."
The survey of 569 GPs, analysed by NOP Research Group, also found that
GPs' commitment to their patients is risking their health.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of GPs said they either always or usually
worked when they were really too ill and 74% had taken no time off sick
in the last 12 months.
Notes to Editors
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Pulse reaches 45,000 GPs each
week and has consistently been the best-read medical paper in the UK
as judged by JICMARS. The average length of readership
is 11 years.
Pulse was launched in 1960. It is published by CMP Information, the
UK-headquatered publications and exhibitions business of United Business
Media.
