Why Can’t I See My GP? : The Past, Present and Future of General Practice

A timely look at the state of the National Health Service in the UK, from its creation in 1948 to today.

General practice in the United Kingdom has reached a crisis point. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained an already crumbling primary care service, leaving both patients and National Health Service (NHS) staff struggling.
 
Seventy-five years after the creation of the NHS, Dr. Ellen Welch lifts the curtain on general practice. She looks back on the profession before the NHS, Aneurin Bevan’s role in the creation of the service, how the job has changed in the intervening years—particularly since the pandemic—and what the future of the profession might look like.
 
The book features personal accounts from general practitioners, including Dr. Aman Amir and Dr. Neena Jha, alongside key insights from health writer Ellie Philpotts and commentator Roy Lilley. Together, those on the frontline try to answer the question: how did we get here? And what can be done to make things better for us all in the future?

‘I tried to contact my own GP last week. I counted 19 redials and 20 minutes on hold before I was able to speak to a receptionist… only to be told that all the appointments for the day had gone.  My experience echoes a familiar tale told up and down the country, but just why is it that you can’t see your GP anymore? This book provides some answers to that question…’UK general practice has reached crisis point. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has placed a strain on an already crumbling primary care service, leaving both patients and NHS staff struggling. Seventy-five years after the NHS was created, Dr Ellen Welch lifts the curtain on general practice. She looks back on the history of the profession exploring how the job has changed– particularly since the pandemic – then ahead to what the future of general practice might look like. Why Can’t I See My GP features personal accounts from practicing GPs, including Dr Aman Amir, whose surgery was subject to an arson attack; GP leaders Dr David Wrigley, Dr Lizzie Toberty and Dr Paul Evans, alongside commentator Roy Lilley, and bereaved husband Chris Milligan. Those on the frontline try to answer the question: how did we get here? Is it better overseas? And what can be done to make things better for us all in the future?If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by the length of time it took to get a GP appointment, then this book is for you.