The Isle of Wight is just one of many areas across the country that has been experiencing problems recruiting GPs.
NHS England, Health Education England, the BMA and RCGP have now launched a new scheme to tackle the problem and are offering a £20,000 lump sum to trainee GPs committed to working for three years in one of the problem areas.
109 training places have been identified in seven key areas, including the Isle of Wight.
NHS England say,
“These areas often have an extremely good track record for education, but are initially less popular simply because of their geographical location.
“However, those trainees that do come usually stay on after training, as they discover these locations’ hidden attractions.”
Areas struggling to recruit GPs
As well as the Isle of Wight, other training locations include:
- East Midlands – Lincolnshire
- North East – East Cumbria
- North East – West Lakes
- North West – South Cumbria
- North West – Blackpool
- Yorkshire and the Humber – Northern Lincolnshire (Scunthorpe & Grimsby) GP Scheme
Dr Maureen Baker, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, says,
“In areas that are particularly struggling to recruit GPs, often more remote areas, or those with high levels of deprivation, something needs to be done to make living and working there an attractive prospect to potential new recruits.
“This initiative is something that the College has been proposing for some time and we are pleased to see it being implemented. Similar schemes have worked really well for other careers, such as teaching, and we hope it will encourage new GPs to under-doctored areas in the best interests of providing safe care now and in the future, wherever our patients live.”
More details about training on the Isle of Wight can be found on the GP Education Website.
Image: connortarter under CC BY 2.0
