BMA argues GP training should increase to five years

GP training should be extended to five years to increase the quality of care provided to patients, a leading doctors’ body has urged.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has argued that increasing GP training from three years to five will help boost the quality of care by equipping future doctors with the skills to deal with increasingly complex care in the community.

The recommendation was set out in the BMA’s UK election manifesto Standing up for Doctors – Standing up For Health.

Doctors also called for more money so they can increase the time spent with patients during consultations.

Additional resources would enable patients to get up to 20 minutes with their doctor instead of the current standard appointment of 10 minutes, they say.

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Hamish Meldrum, chairman of council at the BMA, said: “Tough questions are being asked about public services. But even during a time of financial stringency, continued investment in the NHS is vital.

“A ‘slash and burn’ response to the need for savings would be dangerous and short-sighted, risking long-term damage to the infrastructure of the health service.”