British Medical Association warns of decision fatigue urging morning appointments

June 1, 2016

Anna Hodgekiss for MailOnline

Published:
04:34 EST, 1 June 2016

|
Updated:
09:04 EST, 1 June 2016

View
comments

Patients who want to get the best care from their GP should book a morning appointment, medics have admitted.

Speaking about their increasing workloads, doctors said it was ‘impossible’ not to make a mistake when they see large numbers of complex patients a day.

As a result, the British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for patient numbers per day to be capped.

According to The Daily Telegraph, medics have said patients are better off seeing GPs in the morning than in the afternoon.

This is because doctors can suffer from ‘decision fatigue’ where the quality of decision-making degrades as the day goes on.

Many younger doctors are moving to Australia, New Zealand or Canada where they can enjoy a better work-life balance and higher salaries, the report states (file image)

Rachel Ali, a GP from Devon, told a conference: ‘I know that I would much rather be one of my first five patient contacts of the day than my last five.’

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA’s GP committee, told the newspaper: ‘This is not just about the number of appointments being seen every day, but about the intensity of that workload, and the number of patients with complex and multiple conditions.’

‘When GPs are trying to listen and care while juggling huge numbers of patients, they want to practise safely and not to make a mistake, but you are trying to do the impossible.’

In April the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) urged members to take regular breaks over fears that tired doctors could pose a threat to patient safety.

The RCGP sent a poster campaign to every practice in the country, making the case that ‘a rested GP is a safer GP’ as some now see 40-60 patients a day.

The revelation follows figure out today which show Britain’s GP staffing crisis has deepened.

One with one in eight posts empty as soaring numbers of family doctors take early retirement or move overseas.

Figures show that the vacancy level is at its highest ever and has almost doubled in two years.

Some surgeries have closed while others are resorting to hiring nurses and paramedics to fill the empty GP posts.

The shortage is being fuelled by rising numbers of doctors taking early retirement, dropping to part-time hours, quitting altogether or moving overseas.

Large numbers of GPs are taking early retirement or dropping to part-time hours, which is impacting on the number of empty posts (file image)

They are not being replaced because of a lack of newly-trained GPs as student medics opt instead to pursue more glamorous careers as surgeons or specialists.

Although GPs benefited from a contract ten years ago that led to average salaries soaring to more than £100,000 a year – and enabled them to give up out-of-hours work – many are becoming increasingly demoralised.

They say the government has not given surgeries enough funding to cope with the soaring patient demand and has created more paperwork.

NHS bosses are desperately trying to fill posts by offering doctors ‘golden hello’ bonuses or promising to fund relocation costs.

But a poll of 690 GPs by Pulse magazine shows the recruitment crisis appears to be intensifying.