GP leaders described the findings as ‘incredibly concerning’, warning they could have ‘disastrous’ consequences for the NHS.
Published in BMJ Open, the study asked over 170 GP trainees about their leaving intentions. All were employed in the West Midlands area and within three months of achieving their CCT.
Two thirds (63%) said they expected to be working in general practice within six months of qualifying as either a salaried, locum or other non-partner GP.
This figure halved to just one in three (34%) at five years – but the proportion expecting to become partners rose from 5% to 34% over the same period.
Researchers, from the University of Warwick, found that participants who said their specialist training had well-prepared them for a career in general practice were more likely to signal that they would work in the NHS in the near future.
Full story in GP Online, 17 August 2017