Commenting on a warning from the British Medical Association Cymru that patients and staff are paying the price for underinvestment in primary care, Natasha Asghar MS, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, said:
“General practice is the first port of call for most patients, so when GP surgeries are under pressure, the consequences are felt right across the health service.
“We welcome the BMA’s report and its call for a greater share of NHS funding to go towards general practice. GPs and their teams are working incredibly hard, but years of pressure and underinvestment have left too many practices struggling to meet demand.
“When more than six in ten GPs say their workload is affecting patient care and practices are having to freeze recruitment or cut services just to stay afloat, it is clear that things must change.
“The Welsh Government must listen to the profession and set out a credible, long-term plan to invest in general practice.”
