The GP workforce pipeline: increasing the flow and plugging the leaks

Extract from Introduction:

BACKGROUND
The 2017 annual meeting of the Society for Academic Primary Care included a workshop for participants with an interest in recruitment and retention of GPs. This article presents emergent themes following presentations about factors affecting the attractiveness of GP work at three stages: 1) during medical school; 2) when choosing a specialty; and 3) retaining experienced GPs until normal retirement age.

Attendees encompassed 15 UK medical schools. Many were involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, some with leading educational roles, some involved in admissions and career support, and also GPs, researchers, and students.

‘Career’: ‘a journey through life and work’
Career decisions are an ongoing process, a continuum alongside vocational maturation.1 This article separately considers issues raised in presentations and by workshop participants as they affect medical schools, Foundation Training, and experienced GPs.

This article is available via Open Athens sign in which NHS staff can sign up for here.