Physician workload is approaching the "saturation threshold" amidst the NHS crisis, which "commands three times more tests" than 15 years ago

Scientists say the WORKLOADS for GPs are reaching their "saturation point" because they command more than three times more tests than 15 years ago.

Diagnoses have cost the NHS more than £ 2.8 billion a year, even using conservative estimates.

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And examining the results increases the pressure on physicians, say researchers at institutions such as Oxford and Stanford Universities.

Lead author Dr. Jack O'Sullivan of Oxford University said: "Our results corroborate other evidence suggesting that the general practice workload in the UK is reaching its saturation point. .

"Similarly, our results indicate the burden of tests ordered by general practitioners on NHS expenditures."

Researchers believe that the number of tests has increased because general practitioners have more appointments. Patients also expect more from being tested and the NHS services have changed.

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In 2000/2001, GPs prescribed 14,869 tests per 10,000 person-years, a measure that takes into account the number of patients and their life span.

But in 2015/16, this figure had risen to 49,267, according to the study published in the medical journal BMJ.

However, the country's first general practitioner said family physicians will always prioritize patient care.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, President of the Royal College of GPs, said, "General practitioners are in an incredibly difficult position when it comes to making recommendations or asking for blood tests or other investigations. we do not do it

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"At the end of the day, our focus is on our patients and we will work in their best interests.

"The fact that more varied and more accurate diagnostic tests are available in the NHS in the last 15 years is a good thing – but it comes at a cost.

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