General Practitioners: Workforce

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Monday 5th March 2018 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of general practitioners taking early retirement; and what steps they are taking to increase the size of the general practitioner workforce.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I refer to my registered interest.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Lord O'Shaughnessy) (Con)]

My Lords, in the 2016-17 pension scheme year, 721 GPs took early retirement, representing 62% of all GP retirements. However, it should be noted that many GPs who take their NHS pension then return to service. Early retirement does not necessarily mean a loss of skills and experience to the NHS. We recognise, however, the need to increase the general practice workforce, which is why the Government remain committed to delivering an additional 5,000 doctors working in general practice by 2020.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering]

My Lords, we appear to be in a vicious cycle of doctors retiring early and then coming back and working part-time and fewer EU doctors coming to work here. What can my noble friend do to increase the number of doctors wishing to enter GP practice as opposed to other specialties, and what will the certification procedure be for EU doctors to be recognised as doctors to practise post Brexit in this country?

[Lord O’Shaughnessy]

I thank my noble friend for her question. It is interesting to note, looking at the figures, that the total number of retirees from general practice has been falling in recent years, which is very welcome, even though in the past few years there has been an increase in the number taking early retirement. As for entering general practice, that is how we need to get more GPs. The number of training places has increased to a record 3,250, which is an 18% increase over the past three years. Finally, on certification, mutual recognition of professional qualifications is of course a matter for negotiation as part of our future relationship with the EU. However, I can tell my noble friend that the Government are committed, under whatever circumstances, to recruit 2,000 international GPs in the coming years.