RCGP warns of a 'mass exodus' of GPs — what we should do about it

Publication summary: A recent Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) survey warns that nearly a third of GPs may not be working in general practice within five years. The survey identifies unmanageable stress, excessive workloads and bureaucracy as the main reasons GPs are considering leaving, and highlights clear risks to patient safety and access to primary care.

The problem — what the survey found

The RCGP’s annual GP Voice survey of more than 2,100 practising GPs and GP registrars found alarming levels of stress and workforce pressure. Almost half of those thinking about leaving cited stress as the main driver, and more than a quarter reported feeling so stressed at least once a week that they could not cope. The College also highlights that rising appointment volumes have not been matched by increases in the GP workforce, leaving each GP responsible for many more patients than in 2019.

Key, load-bearing facts from the survey:

• Nearly a third of GPs are unlikely to be working in general practice within five years (per the RCGP polling).
• Stress and excessive administrative burden are top reasons for leaving; many GPs report weekly levels of stress that affect their ability to cope.
• GPs delivered a record-breaking number of appointments in the last year, but the number of full-time equivalent GPs has barely increased since 2019.

Why this matters

The consequences of losing experienced GPs are immediate and long-term. Practices will struggle to provide safe, timely care; remaining staff will face even higher workloads and burnout; waiting times and pressure on emergency services may rise as continuity of primary care deteriorates. The RCGP notes that patient safety is already being compromised by workload pressures.

High-level priorities for action

Responding to this crisis requires activity at two levels: national/system-level reforms to plan and resource primary care, and local/practice-level interventions to retain staff and protect wellbeing. Below are practical, evidence-aligned suggestions we recommend.

System-level (government, ICSs, NHS England)

• Publish a clear, funded Workforce Plan with targets and timelines. The 10-year workforce plan must put numbers on how many additional GPs will be trained, recruited and retained, and show the measures to get there.
• Reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. Remove avoidable administrative tasks and change referral/triage rules so secondary care can refer between specialists where appropriate, rather than sending patients back through GP teams. This directly reduces paperwork for GPs.
• Accelerate digital integration. Prioritise nationwide interoperability of patient records, e-referrals and results so GPs spend less time hunting for information and duplicating work.
• Fund retention as well as recruitment. Offer targeted retention incentives (flexible working support, protected time for admin/learning, mental health resources) and make partner roles less financially and personally risky.
• Scale multidisciplinary models. Invest in clinical pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists and mental health professionals in primary care to share workload where clinically appropriate.

Practice-level (GP partners, practice managers)

• Redesign admin workflows. Implement templated correspondence, centralised admin teams (shared across PCNs where possible) and clear triage protocols to cut GP admin time.
• Introduce flexible contracts and return-to-practice pathways. Offer part-time, portfolio or flexible partner options; support GPs returning from career breaks with mentoring and bespoke induction. These measures improve retention.
• Protect consultation time. Reassess appointment lengths and mix (telephone, face-to-face, e-consultation) so GPs have time to deliver quality, safe care.
• Prioritise staff wellbeing. Normalise regular clinical supervision, peer support, and access to occupational mental health services. Make small changes (protected admin time, reasonable meeting schedules) that compound to big wellbeing gains.
• Use locums strategically, not as a stopgap. Build long-term relationships with locums and agencies to ensure continuity, and consider salaried or portfolio roles where possible to reduce churn.

Concrete, immediate steps practices can implement this quarter

1. Run a rapid admin audit: identify tasks GPs do that could be delegated and assign them within the team or to shared PCN admin.
2. Introduce one site-wide change to reduce meetings and email load (for example, a protected “no meeting” morning each week for GPs).
3. Offer at least one flexible working trial for a GP (reduced sessions, job-share, or concentrated clinics) to test impact on retention.
4. Engage with ICS workforce teams about short-term funding for additional practice-based multidisciplinary staff.

How recruitment partners and agencies can help

Trusted recruitment partners can support practices by:

• Supplying high-quality locums who commit to regular, predictable sessions to preserve continuity.
• Helping design flexible, portfolio-friendly job descriptions that appeal to experienced GPs seeking work–life balance.
• Advising on international recruitment pathways and on-boarding to reduce administrative friction for new recruits.

Final thought — urgent, joined-up action is needed

The RCGP survey is a clear warning: unless we act now to reduce workloads and bureaucracy, resource primary care properly and protect the workforce’s wellbeing, practices will lose experienced clinicians and patients will feel the impact. The solutions are feasible and in many cases inexpensive compared with the cost of failing to retain core primary care staff. We must combine national commitment with practical local changes so GPs can keep doing the job they trained for: delivering safe, high-quality care to their communities.

For more details on the RCGP findings see the RCGP press release (published 10 November 2025).

Comments are disabled