More than 'just a GP'

‘Do you think you’ll be wasted in General Practice?’ Whether that was the exact wording or just the gist I can’t quite remember, but it was clear that 20 plus years ago my Hospital clinical supervisor thought I would be better ‘suited’ to Hospital Medicine. Although I think it was intended as a compliment that I could be a successful consultant, it was (to say the least) a highly dismissive comment reflecting wider perceptions about General Practice and primary care. 

Going into my 20th year as a GP, I am reminded how far wide of the mark these perceptions are, and why General Practice remains an incredible career, despite all the wider frustrations and challenges. The New Year seems a good opportunity to reflect on this, and why we should remain proud of what we do in Primary Care.

More than ‘Just a GP’.

The phrase ‘I'm more than just a GP’ is one that has been used over the years, and reflects a sentiment common among many GPs who wish to emphasize the depth, complexity, and importance of our specialty. It’s a sentiment I couldn’t agree more with.

Just think back to the last clinic you did - the patient you’re helping come to terms with chronic pain, the man who wants to talk you about getting a PSA, the new baby and post-natal check where the mother is not managing as well as you first thought, the patient having a mental health crisis due to an upcoming court case necessitating a referral to the crisis team, the child with ear pain (phew a quick one to catch up) who just needs reassurance that their URTI symptoms will settle with some analgesia and time, not to mention the elderly patient needing an urgent home visit as their bloods have just been phoned through from the lab showing an AKI and new hyponatraemia. 

Every day is a school day.

But being able to manage the wide variety and complexity of General Practice does not happen by accident. It happens because you/we continue to look at ways to improve our knowledge, and learn from our patients and each other. This is the side of our job that is rarely seen or acknowledged. The Practice meetings, significant event reviews, complaints meetings, quality improvement projects, and yes Primary Care education. 

At NB Medical we strive to support Primary Care education, make sure it is given the recognition it deserves and help your ongoing learning. We recognise what a difficult job it is to keep up to date across the breadth of primary care areas, and hope we can make your life that little bit easier, and your consulting and interactions with your patients that little bit better. As a GP I’m constantly reminded that every day is a school day, whether it’s finding a ‘DEN’ from a consultation, picking colleagues brains at coffee break, or running the Q&A on our live webinars where I’m in the privileged position to share knowledge and learn from my colleagues on the Q&A chat. 

Proud to be a GP.

So no, I don’t think I’ve been wasted in General Practice. As a true generalist it remains a widely varied and fascinating job. Yes, it is also frustrating, exhausting, and emotionally draining, but when you get it right, immensely rewarding. Ultimately for all the problems in General Practice and across the NHS, I still look around and think ‘could I do another job?’. To which the answer, even on a bad day, is ‘No’. So no, I am not ‘just a GP’, I ‘am a GP’, and proud of it.

See you in 2026!