It's definitely time to 'Save Our Surgeries'

BMA Cymru Wales finds that over the past 10 years:

• The number of patients registered at GP practices in Wales has increased by 93,317 (2.9 per cent)
• The number of practices has decreased from 470 to 386 (18 per cent)
• The equivalent number of full-time GPs has decreased by 456 (21.7 per cent)
• The average practice list size has increased to 8378 patients (23.5 per cent)
• The number of patients looked after per FTE GP has risen from 1675 to 2210 (32 per cent).

For dispensing practices, which comprise 17 per cent of all Welsh GPs (England: 14 per cent; Scotland 10 per cent) you can add the pressure of increased demand for NHS dispensing services following recent high profile pharmacy closures, as well as decreasing dispensing profitability.

To put numbers to the headline findings, in Wales:    

• Practice employed staff costs have increased by 10-16 per cent 
• Energy costs have increased by as much as 41.2 per cent when comparing the same quarters in 2021 and 2022.  

According to the BMA Wales, GPs are considering drastic measures to mitigate the challenges, including stopping recruitment and reducing staff hours. Almost one in five (18 per cent) Welsh practices have already closed, simply redirecting a growing elderly population into the fewer GP practices that still exist.   

To find out more visit:
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/wales-save-our-surgeries-campaign