Junior doctors on the picket line at Cardiff's University Hospital, January 15, 2024
DOCTORS threatened strike action today unless the Welsh government provides an urgent rescue package, as GPs in Wales warn they cannot meet demand and ensure patient safety.
A BMA Cymru Wales survey has revealed that 91 per cent of GPs are routinely unable to meet patient demand due to unsustainably high workloads affecting appointment availability, with 87 per cent fearing an impact on patient safety.
There are 100 fewer surgeries for patients to turn to and GPs are seeing up to 35 per cent more patients each, which the union claims is causing unsustainably high workloads and burnout with doctors forced to work less than full-time to survive.
We need a massive change in direction to renew a crumbling health service — that’s why Plaid Cymru has an ambitious plan to recentre primary care by recruiting 500 additional GPs and opening six new elective care hubs across Wales, writes MABON AP GWYNFOR
