Despite government promises to improve patient access to doctors, thousands of NHS GPs are dramatically reducing their working hours, creating a deepening crisis in primary care.
The Shrinking GP Workforce
Recent NHS figures reveal a startling trend: just one in thirteen early career GPs now works full-time, with the typical GP working five hours less per week than they did in 2017. The number of full-time GPs in England has plummeted by a third, from over 11,000 in 2017 to just 7,480 in September this year.
The reduction in hours is most pronounced among younger doctors. Fewer than 8% of GPs aged 30-34 now work full-time, down dramatically from 22% in March 2017. Similar declines have been recorded among 35-40 and 40-44 year old GPs, suggesting a generational shift in working patterns.
Why Doctors Are Cutting Back
Dozens of GPs contacted The Guardian to explain their decisions to reduce hours, with most citing overwhelming job stress and unsustainable workloads.
Yasmin, a 29-year-old GP from Leicestershire who asked to use a pseudonym, described the relentless pressure: "The pace was unsustainable for me. When you're always late to leave work, making decisions all day and facing people's constant anger about the service you are offering, it's easy to feel resentful."
Despite working just two days weekly in clinical practice, Yasmin typically puts in 22 hours while being paid for only 16.5. "I arrive early, leave late, and never take my breaks," she explained.
Joe, a 33-year-old Brighton GP also working two days weekly, highlighted the hidden overtime: "While many GPs are part-time on paper, in reality they are working above their contracted hours." His typical day stretches to 11-12 hours when administrative work is included.
The Childcare and Tax Factor
Beyond stress, practical considerations are driving the reduction in hours. Many younger GPs have cut their hours specifically to qualify for the government's free childcare offer, while others cite difficulties finding wraparound childcare.
Adam, a Midlands GP in his 50s, observed: "I now do four days a week, but almost none of my younger colleagues do more than three days to qualify for free childcare."
For older, more experienced GPs, punitive pension taxation provides a powerful incentive to reduce hours. Andrew, a 61-year-old Norfolk GP, now works three and a half days because the pension system allows him to draw more than £3,500 monthly from his pension while working less.
Paradox of Plenty: Qualified GPs Without Work
In a troubling paradox, while salaried GPs reduce their hours, many locum doctors struggle to find work despite patient complaints about difficulty accessing appointments.
Lucy-Jane, an unemployed GP from Devon who completed training in 2023, described her situation: "I feel that I'm on the scrapheap. Friends and family find it shocking that I can't get a job, and everyone talks about how they are desperate to see a GP."
A recent British Medical Journal study confirms this trend, finding that more than a third of licensed GPs (19,900) were not working in NHS general practice in 2024, up from just 27% in 2015.
Impact on Patient Care
The shift toward part-time work among experienced GPs has significant implications for patient care. A 51-year-old northwest GP explained: "We need experienced clinicians in the system to guide those lacking the expertise to deal with all these patients with complex problems, otherwise everything will collapse further."
Anne Mellor, a 52-year-old GP partner from Doncaster, is planning to quit her "dream job" and retrain due to reforms that she believes have reduced service quality. "The changes imposed upon us mean that we are providing a worse service to our patients," she said.
Despite these challenges, an NHS spokesperson highlighted some positive developments: "There are millions more general practice appointments for patients than before the pandemic, and increasing the number of GPs remains a key priority for the NHS." They noted that nearly 1,300 more doctors have joined general practice in the last year alone.
The spokesperson defended flexible working arrangements, stating they help "retain more staff and improve their working lives, while bringing additional skills into general practice."
