26th January 2015
A poll has revealed that members of the profession believe Labour is the political party most likely to protect the NHS, but remain unconvinced it will deliver on its pledge to recruit an extra 8,000 GPs. In an online poll, 36% of the 263 GP respondents placed Labour first, with the Conservative party ranking second at 22%. The Scottish National Party won overwhelming support among Scottish voters.
Despite the statistics, respondents continue to show a lack of faith in politicians, unconvinced that any party could be trusted with the NHS. Rueful cast-offs like ‘they all talk nonsense’ were commonplace, with one GP writing “I have no faith in any of the political parties – I have seen nothing but deterioration under the last few governments, changes are being made for political benefits and not for NHS benefits.” Even in its poll-winning position, a mere 3% believe Labour can deliver on its pledge to alleviate the recruitment crisis. Several respondents point to the already unfilled positions and proposed extended hours surgeries deterring applicants, asking ‘where are the 8,000 extra coming from?’
Though more achievable, the Conservative pledge to retain and retrain an additional 5,000 doctors again only received 3% of the vote of confidence. Just one in twenty respondents felt that this figure would be enough, with many opposed to the party’s proposed access hours; from 8am to 8pm seven days a week by 2020. 87% either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the plans, with one respondent writing “the NHS cannot afford it. Patients can already access a GP 24 hours a day if medically needed. To do this new access will mean cuts elsewhere – there are not enough GPs.”