Why Can’t I See My GP?

UK general practice has reached crisis point. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has placed a strain on an already crumbling primary care service, leaving both patients and NHS staff struggling.

Seventy-five years after the NHS was created, Dr Ellen Welch lifts the curtain on general practice. She looks back on the profession pre-NHS, Aneurin Bevan’s role in the creation of the service, how the job has changed in the intervening years – particularly since the pandemic – and what the future of the profession might look like.

Featuring personal accounts from practising GPs, including Dr Aman Amir, whose practice was subject to an arson attack, and Dr Neena Jha, as well as from health writer Ellie Philpotts and commentator Roy Lilley, those on the frontline try to answer the question: how did we get here? And what can be done to make things better for us all in the future?

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by the length of time it took to get a GP appointment, then this book is for you.