Lack of GPs could be shortening patients’ lives, study suggests

Patients in areas with more family doctors had higher life expectancy, a study suggests – SolStock/E+

EMB TUES 00.05 SCHEDULE FOR 6AM THANKS

GP shortages could be shortening patients’ lives, research suggests.

The national study of practices in England found that those in areas with more family doctors, and a better chance of seeing the same GP, had higher life expectancy.

The findings, published in the British Journal of General Practice, examined patient life expectancy between 2015 and 2019, ahead of the pandemic.

Since then, life expectancy has fallen.

Meanwhile, waiting times for GPs have worsened, with one in 20 people waiting four weeks to see a doctor, amid a shortage of about 5,000 GPs.

Researchers from the University of Leicester examined all practices in England with at least 750 patients and data on life expectancy.

Those living in areas with more full-time qualified GPs were likely to have longer life expectancy, as were those where practices had more “continuity of care”.

The study found the availability of same-day appointments had a positive impact on male life expectancy.

Researchers said: “The number of GPs, continuity of care, and access in England are declining, and it is worrying that these features of general practice were positively associated with life expectancy.”

The study analysed life expectancy data in the National General Practice Profiles system using 16 models, including population characteristics relating to deprivation, ethnicity and the number of patients on the diabetes register, NHS payments per registered patient, and the percentage of those seen on the same day.

Other factors linked to longer life expectancy included practices which were better funded and having higher level of vaccination uptake.

The findings indicated that deprivation and geography were “powerful predictors of life expectancy”.

Having higher numbers of other staff, such as nurses, was linked to lower life expectancy.

Researchers said this reflected the fact poorer areas were more likely to rely more on practice nurses.

Office for National Statistics data published in January covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland show estimated life expectancy at birth has fallen in most local areas, with most of the fall blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020 to 2022, the average was 78.6 years for males and 82.6 years for females, down by 38 weeks and 23 weeks respectively when compared with 2017 to 2019.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne said ‘continuity of care allows us to build trusting relationships with our patients’ – JUSTIN GRAINGE/GRAINGE PHOTOGRAPHY

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: “This timely study highlights factors which front-line GPs have witnessed for years: continuity of care is closely linked to patient health, and areas with higher deprivation generally have lower life expectancy.

“We know that continuity of care is beneficial and highly valued by our patients, particularly those with complex health needs. It allows us to build trusting relationships with our patients and gain a greater holistic picture of their overall health. But we simply don’t have enough GPs to deliver the care that all patients deserve, and the impact of this is much more acute in more deprived areas.”

She said the average GP is now responsible for 264 more patients than was the case six years ago, with an average of 2,298 on their books.

An NHS spokesman said: “Continuity of care with a GP or health professional familiar with a person’s care is really important, which is why the GP contract regulations are being amended to explicitly require practices to consider continuity of care when a patient contacts their practice.

“While the NHS Long Workforce Plan commits to increasing the number of GP training places by 50 per cent to support general practice teams to provide continuity of care for those who need it most, including older people or those with complex health needs.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are committed to narrowing the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030 and to increasing healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035. Our upcoming major conditions strategy will help us do this, by tackling the key drivers of ill-health in England.

“Continuity of care is important. That’s why all patients are assigned a named GP and practices must try and facilitate reasonable requests from patients to see a particular doctor or healthcare professional.

“There are nearly 2,800 more GPs working in England than in 2019 and our primary care recovery plan is backed by £240 million to support practices to improve access. Last year the NHS delivered 50 million more GP appointments than five years ago and the NHS’ first ever long-term workforce plan will continue to improve services by increasing GP training places by 50 per cent”

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.