Leeds GPs: City reacts to possible reduction in family doctors' working hours

General Practitioner Leaders voted against changing the core working hours to 9am to 5pm back in May 2022.

61 per cent of leaders voted against the motion however many argued that current GPs workloads were too high.

GPs are currently contracted to work from 8am to 6.30pm and there will be another vote in late November in which the leaders will be asked to vote on a reduction in daily hours.

If the vote is successful then GPs in the UK will work two and a half hours less than they currently do.

The Gateshead and Tyneside Local Medical Committee said that the current hours ‘indirectly discriminate against GPs who wish to have families’.

If the vote to change GPs hours is approved then the change would take effect in April of 2024 and patients will be able to see their doctors between the hours of 9am and 5pm.

The Yorkshire Evening Post asked its readers how they felt about the proposed changes to GP’s working hours.

The majority of people who responded were not happy with the idea.

Denis Pickburn wrote: “Healthcare should never be a 9am-5pm service.

“If anything they should be extending opening hours and putting in shift patterns to cover them.

“Healthcare should be about providing access to patients, not GP convenience, although it seems we do have a shortage of GPs. “

Laura Rachel Whelan agreed, she commented: “I don’t understand why GPs don’t work shift patterns so that people can access the service from 7am to 10pm.”

Many readers pointed out that they have struggled to see a GP in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and there are already shortages in the system.

Michael Winterbottom wrote: “You can’t get appointments now. What is it going to be like then?”

Andrea Leaf agreed, she said: “You can’t get an appointment now so reducing hours will make it impossible.

“It’s a joke. They should be extending, not reducing.

“How about working weekends like everyone else has to do?”

Jenny Gillard commented: “So working people will have even more issues getting a suitable appointment time.”

Pat Edwards said: “Police, the fire service and nurses all work seven days a week.

“Illness doesn’t just happen between 9am to 5pm.”

Some readers noted that there could be a knock on effect on the rest of the NHS system if GP hours are reduced.

Anne Abbiss said: “I feel for our A and E departments if this goes through.

“Everyone will just go there and add to the current pressure these places are already under.”

Barbie J Eveson wrote: “People get poorly before and after those hours and this means they will have to go to A and E, which is putting the load on them.”

Andrina Susan Duckmanton said: “It won’t make any difference to patients, it's not like you can get an appointment anyway.

“It will just put more pressure on hospital A and E departments because people will head there.”

Some readers were in favour of the change as they fear for the NHS’s current backlog and pressures.

Gemma Victoria said: “The reality is GPs are leaving the job due to the pressure and unrealistic pay, unless something is done about that then things won’t get better.

“Even if it was a 24 hour service there are only so many GPs.

“They have worked hard to be able to have a work life balance like everyone is entitled to.

“They shouldn’t have to work weekends and through the night, that is what private health care is for.”