GPs sick of medicine

Nearly half of all general practitioners are considering leaving medicine, according to a survey of more than 1,000 doctors in England and Wales, writes Stephen Castle. The poll, conducted by the Liberal Democrats, also reveals dissatisfaction with the state of the health service and disquiet over the speed of the Government's reforms.

Of the GPs polled, 46.8 per cent said they were seriously thinking of leaving the profession altogether, although this figure includes people considering early retirement. Those considering a career switch represented 7.3 per cent of the sample. Just under half of those replying said they were either not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with their job. Increased bureaucracy and excessive out-of-hours work were cited as the main causes of dissatisfaction.