GP Recruitment and Retention: the Crisis in London

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The current average GP vacancy rate in London is 7%, a shortfall of about 350 GPs, which is equivalent to all the GPs working in Harrow and Wandsworth. With a large number of GPs either resigning or retiring in the next five years the situation is likely to get worse. The Health Committee believes there is much that could be done now to recruit more GPs and retain existing GPs, and has made positive recommendations to key health organisations to try and assist them in tackling this major problem in London. These include:

• the recruitment of more refugee doctors already in London and overseas doctors, including those from the Commonwealth;
• the implementation of an incentive scheme to encourage newly qualified doctors to stay and practise as GPs in London; and
• better collection and monitoring of GP vacancy rate information.