Worries raised over GP shortages

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Concerns have again been raised about who will replace GPs working the south Wales valleys who are due to retire.

In Blaenau Gwent alone, 17 doctors are due to retire out of 34 and there are worries communities will suffer unless more is done to attract new doctors.

Dr David Grant from the British Medical Association (BMA) said the "time bomb" was "still ticking away" in tackling the problem.

But the assembly government said the situation was getting better.

During the 1960s and 70s, many doctors from overseas were attracted to Britain to work as GPs.

Dr Subrata Singh is nearing the point of retirement

But many of those doctors are reaching the age of retirement and there are fears surgeries will have to close unless new doctors are found.

Dr Subrata Singh who works in the Glan Yr Afon surgery in Tredegar told the Politics Show: "When we first came, we didn't have much information of any jobs around the country.

"Nowadays, people who are coming over from any other part of the world are coming equipped with a lot more information (about jobs on offer) than we came over with.

"And so people have become very choosy."

His colleague in the surgery, Dr Ajit Singh, said: "General practice is particularly demanding and challenging."

Dr Ajit Singh said the work of a GP was 'very demanding'

Both medics said they feared the younger generation of doctors will not want to take on such a role.

The BMA's Dr David Grant added: "I think we have made progress but its something we have still got to stay on top of.

"A lot of the doctors have been here since the 1970s and some have carried on working perhaps longer than they intended to.

'Retirements'

"They are going to retire and unless we can get younger enthusiastic doctors into the valley areas, then there is a risk practices could fold."

The problem of a shortage of doctors in the south Wales valleys has been on-going for a number of years but the assembly government says things are improving.

A spokesman said there were more people training to be GPs and applying for jobs in Wales.

He added that the chief medical officer had recommended that local health boards put robust plans in place to deal with future retirements and said evidence suggested those recommendations were being followed.

The Politics Show for Wales, with Jon Sopel and Adrian Masters on Sunday at 1200 BST on BBC One.