TY - JOUR T1 - Will the GP workforce crisis be solved by top-down initiatives? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 509 LP - 510 DO - 10.3399/bjgp20X712949 VL - 70 IS - 699 AU - Imogen Staveley AU - Jonathan Sampson Y1 - 2020/10/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/70/699/509.abstract N2 - The GP-to-patient ratio is falling. This issue is increasingly political. Politicians quote impressive figures to the electorate; the Conservative party recently promised to deliver 6000 extra GPs by 2024.1 Concentrating solely on numbers of GPs promised by politicians is damaging: it leads to short-term centralised initiatives to recruit and retain GPs.It does not address the wicked problems facing general practice. Patient demands are changing. GPs are facing chronic excessive workload.2 More GPs want portfolio roles and fewer want to be partners.3 Technology is having an impact on the way patients access and receive care. New roles are being created to work alongside GPs in primary care and new models of care are being initiated.4Furthermore, focusing purely on whole numbers can give a misleading picture of patients’ experiences. For example, it is not clear whether the government target is for whole-time-equivalent GPs or not, and whether the number of trainees is included. Both of these factors impact on the true GP-to-patient ratio.In the next 5 years, 8500 GPs plan to leave the health service;5 many others are choosing to work less than full time. This is largely related to chronic excessive workload as well as other factors including pension legislation, which is forcing many GPs to retire early to avoid additional lifetime allowance tax charges.6Furthermore, many GPs who remain are burning out, resulting in poor care for patients as well as damage to … ER -