A WEYMOUTH GP has spoken out about the ‘crisis’ facing the future of healthcare in the area.

Dr Jon Orrell has responded to results of a survey run by the University of Exeter, revealing that two in five GP's in the South West intend to quit in the next five years.

Dr Orrell said: “It’s becoming a crisis, not just down here but across the country.

“There are eight practices in town and four of them are having trouble recruiting. There was a time when a job would be posted and you would get 100 applicants. Now the practices are getting none at all.”

More than 50 per cent of GP’s who took part in the survey reported that they had low morale in their job.

Dr Orrell said: “GP’s look after about 90 per cent of patients for nine per cent of the budget. It’s still a great job, but there’s that extra workload.”

The survey exposed the trouble with the ‘ageing workforce’, as over 30 per cent of current GP’s are over 50 years old.

Dr Orrell said: “There’s a lot of GP’s nearing retirement. A lot of people went into general practice at the same time. Now that group are getting close to leaving in the next five years.”

Professor John Campbell, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research and is also a practising GP, said: “GP morale is low because of workload pressures, and many younger GP’s do not want the financial risk and responsibilities of taking on a practice.”

Seven out of ten GP’s also revealed that they would change their working patterns to have less contact with patients. This would include reducing their hours or leaving patient care.

Joyce Guest, Healthwatch Dorset chairman, said: “GP's are central to the NHS and local people rely on them.

“The knock-on effect of fewer GP's is fewer GP surgeries and that will make it harder for people to access the health services they need, especially in rural areas of Dorset.”

The NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have spoken out about the steps taken in Dorset to reduce the crisis facing GP's. 

A spokesperson for NHS Dorset CCG said: "In Dorset, we have taken bold and ambitious steps to support the long term sustainability of our practices.

"In April 2016, we set up the Primary Care Workforce Centre. The centre has looked at innovative ways to address the recruitment challenge with not only our trainees and future workforce supply, but also our current workforce.

"The centre is also developing the career and development offer for all general practice staff."

The full study and survey results can be found at http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/4/bmjopen-2017-015853