Cornish town's pop-song GP recruitment plea in face of predicted UK doctor "mass exodus"
The community of Lostwithiel are hoping to attract new doctors to their town's medical practice
A Cornish town is taking recruitment matters for their local GP into their own hands - and voices.
The community of Lostwithiel has created their own song and pop video to attract new doctors to their town's medical practice, in an attempt to replace a much-loved retiring GP within two weeks.
It comes as the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) warns that general practice is facing a 'mass exodus' of doctors over the next five years, with almost 19,000 out of 45,000 GPs and trainees set to quit.
The song and video - which aims to persuade GPs to relocate and make a long-term commitment to the close-knit 5,000 strong community - has been released on social media today (Valentine's Day 2023).
The Lostwithiel Needs a Doctor crusade was initiated by Dr Justin Hendriksz, the current remaining practice partner, who felt a more creative approach was needed to find newly trained or existing GPs to care for the community.
With a pressing two-week deadline, Hendriksz approached Really Lovely Projects, a local arts-led creative CIC, to create a standout campaign that would reach the nation of doctors, but importantly touch the hearts of those professionals.
The song, and the campaign seeks to show that the community is understanding about the stresses and strains that GPs are facing, whilst highlighting the natural beauty and cultural backdrop of the small, riverside town in South East Cornwall.
Dr Hendriksz says: "Despite the beauty of rural Cornwall and the lively, positive community of Lostwithiel, as a medical practice we have struggled to recruit new GPs through the usual route of adverts in all of the relevant medical publications.
"We’re all very aware of the alarming number of GPs leaving the sector, so we know we’re not the only practice to be finding it such a challenge to find the right incoming doctors.
"We’re very proud of our historical work and service to our local Lostwithiel community and we really need to find our medical successors to take on our mission of treating patients with the “right person, in the right place, at the right time.
"Of course I’m biased, but there really is nowhere better to be a GP, and myself and my outgoing team have always felt beyond valued and appreciated in this very special community.
"The whole community has got behind this idea and I sincerely hope the campaign pop song and video reaches the right people to come and find their ultimate job and home right here in Lostwithiel."
Dr Hendriksz’s colleague, Dr William Howe, who will be retiring at the end of March, said: "Lostwithiel is a fantastic community and I have loved my time serving the people of the town.
"I have worked here for over 30 years and it has been a wonderful area to raise a family. The medical practice has a great team and whoever is able to fill the new position will be extremely lucky, despite the current shared challenges in the profession at large."
Norman Pendray, a member of the local community, farmer and brass band leader, who took part in the pop song video, says: "There are many reasons why Lostwithiel Medical Practice is the top one in Cornwall, not least because you can get same day appointments with sympathetic and skilled staff.
"We are extremely fortunate to have such great service and look forward to welcoming Dr Howe’s replacement, and making them very much at home in our special Cornish community."
Polling by the RCGP as part of a campaign to make NHS GP services sustainable for the future found that 42% of 1,262 GPs and trainees who took part said they were likely to quit the profession in the next five years.
RCGP Chair Professor Martin Marshall warned that general practice was a profession in 'crisis' - with the intensity and complexity of GP workload rising as the workforce continues to shrink.
According to the BMA: "As of December 2022 (latest data) we actually now have the equivalent of 1,990 fewer fully qualified full-time GPs compared to the September 2015 baseline."
Dr Kieran Sharrock, Deputy Chair of the British Medical Association’s GP Committee, explained why there is an increased shortage of GPs: "We know that, last year, 55% of doctors retiring were taking voluntary early retirement. That is because the pension taxation situation makes it as if they were paying to work."