June 2021: 10th National GP Worklife Survey
The National GP Worklife Survey was run for the 10th time in 2019, and the results are now available. We found that the mean level of overall satisfaction, measured between 1 (extremely dissatisfied) and 7 (extremely satisfied), increased by 0.24 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.40) points from 4.25 in 2017 to 4.49 in 2019. Mean levels of satisfaction increased between 2017 and 2019 to varying degrees in all nine domains of job satisfaction, although this remains lower than the peak of satisfaction found in 2005. Overall hours of work showed a slight decline, but responses to questions about stressful aspects of the job suggest that GPs feel they need to work increasingly intensively. Intentions to quit practice remain high, with 63% of respondents over the age of 50 reporting a considerable or high likelihood that they will leave patient care roles in the next five years. More worryingly, perhaps, 11% of GPs under 50 suggested they might also leave, although this is a slight decline since 2017.