THE way doctors see patients in York and North Yorkshire will never be the same again - and that is a good thing.

According to a leading York doctor, general practice is evolving and adapting to the needs of patients and the way people want to access it.

Speaking in a column in The Press, Professor Mike Holmes said practices have been evolving for some time and this has accelerated during the pandemic.

He said: “The sheer volume of patient demand and shortage of clinicians means that we could never continue seeing all our patients face to face within an acceptable time frame. Put simply, if we saw all patients face to face, many patients would have to wait several months for an appointment.

“We have to accept that general practice will not be the same again and that is a good thing – it is evolving and adapting to the needs of our patients and the way people want to access it.

“We have short memories – we weren’t happy with general practice before the pandemic and were demanding change. Successive Governments have prioritised access over continuity of care – yet the profession is blamed for the fact people can’t see their ‘usual’ GP. Of course we all know a perfect health system is impossible to achieve…don’t we?

“The reaction in the media suggests that many do not fully recognise the importance, the potential and the purpose of general practice. We do not just see minor illness – we assess, manage and coordinate care from cradle to grave, we see the full spectrum of physical, psychological and social issues. For many, this is incredibly complex. We have a huge task and I see the impact of this on colleagues and patients every day.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is a privilege to be a GP and none of us went into the profession thinking it would be easy – of course it isn’t and it never will be. The reality is, like all health and social care sectors, we are trying very hard and in many cases going beyond what would be deemed reasonable. Some colleagues are choosing to leave along the way, but the majority are hugely resilient and driven by powerful values; I am confident they will get us through the pandemic and into whatever comes next.”

Prof Holmes said every working day more than 1 million people are treated in general practice and surgeries have faced more than a decade of rising workload and diminishing workforce, alongside “a complete mismatch of funding”.

He said: “Despite seeing around 85 per cent of all NHS activity, general practice receives only around ten per cent of the NHS budget.”