Give GPs fun in their work

It is in everyone’s best interest that the GP does not go away. According to Hanneke van der Veer-Janssen and Patrick Poels, practicing and non-practising practitioners, this is also not necessary. But then you have to help the novice doctor.

In the last week of June, we campaigned for GPs to show how important GP care is to everyone. On July 1, National General Practitioner Advent Day, devotion: “The monitor is increasingly costly to GPs.” We would like to emphasize that the observer, including the GP, is not so much the problem, but part of the solution.

Research (Nivel, 2021) shows that 62 percent of trained GPs aspire to practice in their private practice. However, that year, only 52 percent of GPs were still practicing, compared to 84 percent in 2000. Consequently, fewer and fewer GPs are taking the step to become a practice owner. This is not healthy.

Research has shown that patients who attend a regular GP live longer, end up in the emergency department less and benefit less from emergency GP service in the evenings, nights, and weekends. A regular GP not only makes patients healthier but also makes them more satisfied. We general practitioners ourselves collectively also cite the relationship of trust with patients as the most beautiful part of our profession.

The article in Trouw referred mainly to economic inequality. The shortage of GPs provides space for a GP who behaves with good earning “cherry-picking”, rather than the owner of the hardworking practice. But the reality is more complex. The list of laundry factors hinders a starting GP from becoming a practice owner.

Extra working day!

The doctor is busier and busier. In the meantime, more GPs taking up the practice are starting to work part-time. A part-time GP works an average of 44 hours, while a full-time GP works 59 hours. Practicing GPs do not get actual leave of absence, because in addition to caring for patients, they also have to take care of the practice and their staff. The regulatory burden imposed by the government or insurance companies is also increasing. GPs are not adequately prepared for this during their training.

Additionally, training rooms are often too small or too expensive to continue to provide all the care. And do not forget that the medical practitioner is responsible for carrying out services in the evening, night and weekend. Just enter here as a young mother with a hardworking partner, as a caregiver or as a regular GP who also loves to pursue a hobby by her side or her work.

It seems like a hopeless situation, especially at a time when the government is suggesting that we should provide more care with fewer caregivers with a smaller budget. However, we see solutions.

This starts with more interest in entrepreneurship during training. But municipalities must also cooperate generously with adequate and affordable housing. Eliminating unnecessary administrative care right away yields the biggest results: an extra day of consultation! Arrange simple digital consultation options between health care providers, and remove the waiting list from the GP. By making up for 15 minutes of consultations (instead of 10 minutes), the patient is heard better and the GP can provide more appropriate care without a referral. As a result, doctors enjoy their work. So give our GPs the space to work their evening, night and weekend shifts differently. This includes a variable rate.

Finally, strengthen regional GP organizations that exempt physicians from regulating their practices. These organizations know the area and can connect aspiring start-up monitors with outgoing practitioners.

Read also:
Comment: The GP is the pearl of Dutch healthcare, so prevent it from going extinct

Promoting the profession is really necessary. Health insurers, GP organizations, and the government must prevent the care gatekeeper’s collapse.