Enough with the "access" waffle, let's actually fix the GP crisis.

Why are we still pretending that just "increasing access" to GPs is the magic bullet when everyone knows the system is already creaking at the seams? It’s like saying you’ll solve traffic jams by making it easier to get onto the motorway – great, more cars, same gridlock. We need actual doctors seeing patients, not just more appointment slots that are impossible to get.

My idea is pretty simple, though I’m sure the bean counters will find a way to complicate it. We need to seriously invest in training and retaining GPs and nurses. That means better pay, of course, but also a more manageable workload. Let's create specialist nurse practitioner roles that can handle a lot of the routine stuff – things like repeat prescriptions, managing chronic conditions, and initial assessments for common ailments. Free up the GPs for the complex cases and diagnostics.