A Cumbrian GP has written a book highlighting the pressures faced by GP surgeries across the country.

Dr Ellen Welch is former co-chair of the Doctors’ Association UK and works in an NHS surgery in Cumbria.

GP surgeries are under severe strain as struggle to cope with the increased demand since the pandemic with some surgeries reporting that they are having to carry out 20 per cent more appointments than pre Covid.

“I wrote this book to shine a light on why everyone - patients and staff - are struggling within NHS general practice right now and as an attempt to counteract some of the misinformation circulating about general practice,” said Dr Welch.

“Since the pandemic in particular, headlines about our profession have frequently contraindicated what we know to be the day-to-day reality of the job, so this book tells the story from the perspective of GPs up and down the country (and overseas).

“It explains how the profession has changed since the formation of the NHS, what GPs do, and the pressures we are now working under.

“It is overall a plea to remember that your GP is a person, not a service, and someone generally trying to do their best to help within a crumbling system - and our frustrations with that system should be directed towards those in power to improve it - our local MPs and government.”

The book is written in collaboration with GPs around the country who explain the difficulties they face in their jobs.

A recent published by the Lancashire and Cumbria Consortium of Local Medical Committees says that the financial pressures faced by GP surgeries in Cumbria is 'alarming’.

The report seeks to highlight the problems felt by GPs which has led to more than 200,000 people in Cumbria being signed up to GP practices which are 'at risk’.

"The future of general practice, collectively and individually, is at stake here,” said the report.

“If action and serious attention is not given to this pressing issue, there is a very real possibility of mass practice closures and patients finding that access to a GP will worsen significantly."

The crisis in GP surgeries are forcing doctors to leave the health service according to Dr Welch.

“GPs carry out 1.4 million appointments a day across NHS England,” said Dr Welch.

“We're delivering 20 per cent more than we did pre-pandemic in 2019, and that's more of everything: face to face, same day appointments, home visits, telephone consults.

“Despite that, we have less funding and fewer staff. Since 2015, we've lost around 2000 GPs and hundreds of GP practices have closed. As I discuss in my book - GPs are burning out, retiring early, moving abroad.

“The government are repeatedly disinvesting in NHS general practice, evident by the recent contract imposed on GPs by NHSE and this is paving the way for further privatisation of our health service. We do need this reinvestment in our services.

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“GPs are historically the only section of the healthcare system who consistently operate without a financial deficit, we work efficiently and could do so much more with appropriate funding.

“We need to remove redundant NHS processes that generate unnecessary admin work and will leave us with more time to see our patients.”

Dr Welch’s book can be purchased online.