Somerset GP 'worries' about quality of service with underfunding

Dr Sally di Mambro has been a GP in Somerset for more than two decades

A Somerset GP says new pressures on her surgery means she "worries" about the quality of service the practice can provide to patients.

Dr Sally di Mambro, from Wellington Medical Centre, says doctors are frustrated over a lack of funding.

She told BBC Radio Somerset: "I think general practice has been undervalued by everyone for decades."

The government said it was committed to "improving access" to GPs through increased spending.

Dr di Mambro said: "I've seen chronic underfunding which has lead to more difficulties in being able to provide the service.

"The current workforce are having to work harder with more pressure in order to survive."

Her comments come a week after Minehead's only GP practice unexpectedly closed its doors for a day following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) review.

The next day, the town's only doctors surgery reopened under new providers.

Wellington Medical Centre has an increasing number of patients on its lists

Dr di Mambro continued: "I want to draw people's attention to the value of general practice here.

"What we are seeing in Somerset, and nationwide, is that GP practices - even those that are running a safe ship - are struggling to maintain that service.

"A service that we can be proud of and patients that can be happy with - that's just not happening."

She continued: "When you're sat in a coffee shop, you hear negativity about not being able to get a doctors appointment, and this creates a negative rhetoric.

"That is putting off people getting into general practice and therefore there's trouble with recruitment.

"The vast amount of work undertaken in general practice is undervalued and if it was to disappear - what would the NHS do without us?"

'Delivering more appointments'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are committed to improving access to GPs, and we are now delivering 50 million more GP appointments per year.

"The most recent data shows GP funding increased in real terms by 19% between 2017 and 2022, and our Primary Care Recovery Plan made £645 million available to expand pharmaceutical services and take pressure off general practice.

"We are also investing £240 million on digital tools, telephony and training to ensure GP surgeries have what they need to improve access for patients."