Will GP retirement scupper Tory plans for a 7-day NHS?

Back in April the press widely reported that many British GPs had responded in a survey that they were likely to take early retirement, an issue we’ve also discussed on our blog.  The Guardian was one of those reporting that the results of a poll of 15,560 GPs by the British Medical Association (BMA) found that 34% intend to stop working by 2020.

This has become particularly relevant again as David Cameron announces plans to implement a 7 day GP service within the National Health Service, reported here in the Daily Mail.  Much was made of the commitment to recruit additional staff across a range of medical professions to facilitate this goal including promising to recruit 5000 more GPs, here explained by the BBC.

However this gap between the indication that large numbers of GP may take early retirement and the pledge to recruit more staff is one of the issues that the BMA have highlighted in their swift and largely negative response to Cameron’s latest speech on a 7-day NHS.  While broadly supportive of the need to extend the availability of care the BMA highlights lack of Doctors and funding as a key issue that needs to be addressed.  Retirement plans of many GPs seem to be a critical factor and the issues of ageing doctors in the health service is also one which is bound to prompt much discussion as these plans move towards implementation.