Drop in general practice teaching in medical schools angers GP leaders

Abstract

GP leaders say that they are “astonished” and “outraged” at new research findings that show a drop in teaching time for general practice in UK medical schools. The study found that time spent training students in general practice may be “insufficient” to produce the workforce that the NHS needs to deliver more community based care in the future. Responding to the findings Maureen Baker, who chairs the Royal College of General Practitioners, said, “Failure to promote general practice as a career by universities could have a devastating impact on the profession and the NHS as a whole.” Researchers surveyed medical schools to establish medical students’ current exposure to general practice and compared this with past provision, as well as with postgraduate provision. They …