Kent GPs under 'unsustainable pressure'

The Kent LMC survey found 73% of GPs were "significantly stressed"

A survey of GPs across Kent and Medway has found the service is under "unsustainable pressure" and raised concerns about stress, staff retention and unsuitable premises.

The survey, conducted by the Kent Local Medical Committee (Kent LMC), found 73% of GPs reported significant stress, with 13% reporting it was "unmanageable".

It also found 38% of practices described their workloads as "rarely manageable or unmanageable" and 40% planned to retire in the next five years.

The Kent LMC is calling for urgent action in order for primary care to be able to deliver the government's 10-year plan for health. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has been contacted for comment.

A combination of 230 GPs, practice managers and wider practice staff took part in the 2025 survey which reported "combined pressures of workforce attrition, financial instability, inadequate estates, unreliable IT and fragmented system working".

The survey said the issues were "eroding continuity and quality of care" for patients.

Dr Guarav Gupta, Chair of the Kent LMC, said: "General practice is the cornerstone of the NHS, but it is at breaking point.

"Our survey shows the scale of the crisis and the urgent need for action, without investment in General Practice staff, premises, and IT, the ambitions of the Government's 10-year plan will remain out of reach – and patients will pay the price."

Cutting services

The committee, which represents and supports GPs across Kent and Medway, heard complaints about IT issues- with outages equivalent to the cost of 168 appointments per year, it said.

More than a third of the practices that responded also said they either have or are considering cutting services despite an increase in demand.

The government's new 10-year health plan wants to see more care move into the community and an increase in ditigal tech solutions.

The committee is calling for urgent action in order to accomplish those aspirations.

This includes increased core funding, funding locally commissioned services, investment in IT and practice buildings, and a resolution to the current unmanageable workload, which it partially blamed on inappropriate transfers from hospitals and community services.