To our Patients,

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Before we tell you anything else, let us tell you why we became GPs. To care for people. To care for you. We want to give great care, to meet you, to listen to you, and to look after you and your families. It may not feel this way right now, but all we can say is the truth.

And the truth is – general practice is in crisis. Not because of us, or the staff who work with us. It is because of decades of underfunding and neglect, broken government promises and political contempt for you – our patients - that the system is fractured.

This crisis is putting you – and us – at an increased risk.

● There are now 2,200 patients for every GP in England

● Nearly 9 in 10 GPs fear patients aren't always safe at their surgeries

● 1 in 4 (24%) GPs know colleagues who’ve taken their own lives due to work pressures.

● GPs now see more patients each day than is safe for you or them

This isn’t your fault. But it isn’t ours either. We can’t sit by and let our leaders destroy the general practice we all need. In 2019, the UK Government promised to deliver a workforce plan for General Practice and the NHS including attracting ‘6,000 more doctors into General Practice’. In 2022, we are still waiting.

GPs from across England, Scotland, and Wales are calling for more support to Rebuild General Practice.  This must include:

● Recruitment: The UK Government delivering on its commitment of an additional 6,000 GPs in England by 2024.

● Retention: Tackling the factors driving GPs out of the profession such as burn out.

● Safety: A plan to reduce GP workload and in turn improve patient safety.

That’s why we’re writing to you. We want you to know what is really happening. And we’d be honoured to receive your support.

● Follow @RebuildGP

● Visit our website and find out more at RebuildGP.co.uk

● Write to your MP to insist that THEY tackle the workforce and workload crisis in general practice