PATIENTS visiting GPs across the region could be getting unsafe treatment as a result of doctors’ overwhelming workloads, a survey has found.

The British Medical Association study found 62 per cent of GPs in the North-East – the highest rate in the country – and 59 per cent in Yorkshire – the joint third highest rate – stated their workloads were excessive and at times prevent them from providing quality and safe care to patients.

A further 23 per cent of GPs in the North-East and 27 per cent in Yorkshire said the amount of work they faced “significantly prevented” them from providing quality and safe care. Only ten per cent of GPs in the North-East and Yorkshire said their workloads were manageable.

Doctors in the region said more nurses and staff were needed to treat housebound patients and help those with mental illnesses with better information for patients about how to safely self-care.

GP Dr Bill Beeby, who works at Parkway Medical Centre, Coulby Newham, and is the association’s North-East representative, said while the study’s findings were worrying, they were unsurprising.

He said: “General practice is being overwhelmed by chronic underfunding, staff shortages and rising patient demand, especially from an ageing population. There are around 40 million more GP consultations taking place each year than there were a decade ago.

“The government needs to listen to these calls [for nurses and staff] and implement their promises to provide more resources for the services patients really need. Failure to do so will plunge general practice deeper into crisis and it is patients who will ultimately pay the price.”

Dr John Crompton, chairman of North Yorkshire Local Medical Committee, said the area had seen a large increase in the elderly population and was dealing with a lot more complex illness.

He said: “Most doctors are just flat out through the day, then nights and weekends re just trying to catch up on mounting paperwork. It’s why people are struggling to recruit people back to being GPs.”