GPs saw their earnings rise to £142,000 during the pandemic in a Covid pay boom, new data show. The Telegraph has more.
The official NHS figures reveal that as surgeries closed their doors to patients, routinely restricting face-to-face appointments, doctors’ incomes rose to unprecedented heights.
GP partners – who make up the majority of family doctors – saw average incomes rise by £20,000 to £142,000 in the 12 months after the first lockdown.
The 17% rise, the largest on record, came as the NHS moved to a system of “total triage”, with patients refused GP appointments in person unless they had a telephone consultation first.
Some of the extra money will have come from delivering the Covid vaccine rollout and because GPs were paid for tasks they no longer had to do during the pandemic.
On Thursday night, patients’ groups said the increase was “extremely difficult to justify” and would prove “incredibly irritating and distressing” to people who have struggled to see a GP.
It comes as GPs threaten industrial action over a contract that forces some practices to open on Saturdays. The vote was passed at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference earlier this summer, when doctors were urged to “channel our inner Mick Lynch”.
The statistics for England show that average incomes for all GPs, including salaried doctors, rose by 11% in the first year of the pandemic, increasing from £100,700 in 2019-20 to £111,900 in 2020-2021.
The NHS Digital figures are the average earnings per GP in England, regardless of the hours they worked, and include any private work.
Government research revealed that most GPs now work three days or fewer a week following a “substantial” fall in hours since the pandemic. The figures for 2021 showed 58.4% of family doctors working six half-day sessions or less – the equivalent of three days.
Earlier this year, figures revealed that public satisfaction with GP services had fallen to the lowest level on record. Under two-fifths of people were satisfied with the service from family doctors last year, according to the British Social Attitudes survey, the lowest proportion since it began in 1983.
Before the pandemic, around 80% of GP consultations took place in person. During the first lockdown that fell to as low as 47%, since when it has risen to 65%.
Worth reading in full.
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Less service for extortionate prices.
Yeah, so this country has now almost* completed its 20 year transition to a Socialist state. Which is not a good thing, by the way.
“The inherent vice of capitalism** is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
Thatcher.
* I hold a little hope it’s not complete
** capitalism proper, not the crony capitalism we’re all suffering under.
“The inherent vice of capitalism** is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
Except of course that it’s not equal really. The leaders and bureaucrats in the socialist state get an “unequal share of the blessings”.
The privileged are just a different group of people – with a different set of incentives.
Doctors ‘treating’ themselves?
I’m appalled at this news. Frankly my GP’s practice certainly isn’t worth it and as for my local hospital – the government is pouring taxpayers money down the drain!
Very shortsighted, as this attitude of doing less for more money actually comes back to bite everyone even GP’s when they want a service.
The classic hallmarks of public services:
But no, no, the NHS is a national treasure…
It has been raised to the status of a religion or cult….
Absolutely. I hadn’t realised to what extent until I saw the over the top NHS adoration at the London Olympics. That was just creepy as hell.
The NHS is the ecumenical division of the religion commonly referred to as ‘The Science.’
No surprise that some like to work ‘part time’ as long as it generates enough cash!
Presently in the medical system myself awaiting diagnosis of severe left lung pain and recent light headedness. Very comforting I have private medical care as scans and blood tests are being done promptly. I hate to think where I’d be with the pot banging COVID service.
I assume consultation in person data must include nurse practitioners. In my town there is no way those percentages were achieved by the GPs
Looks like they’re still suckling at the financial teat… Being incentivised to accelerate boosters in care home residents.
https://metatron.substack.com/p/the-elderly-arent-dying-quickly-enough?r=sfv9y&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=direct
Is there a private GP sector in Britain?
As an ex-GP in Australia, my experience is that the vast majority of GP consultations are unnecessary (scripts for unnecessary drugs, viral infections that don’t need treatment, government forms to fill in), but “free” doctor visits encourage many to attend when there is no need.
GPs who have actively cooperated with the satanic ‘covid vaccine’ agenda should now familiarise themselves with the Nuremberg Doctors Trials
speaking of GPS, please spare a thought for Kate and Gerry McCann, viciously slandered by our nonce secret service perpetrators as somehow complicit in the disappearance of their daughter
They did leave her in their apartment whilst they were out drinking and eating. The word “somehow” therefore seems appropriate.
The same GP’s that won’t see pts in person. The same GP’s still requiring people to wear masks in surgeries when the science is clear, masks do not work? The same GP’s who are scared of their own shadow. Oh right, yes, I can see why they received raises.