General practice doctor

General practice doctors (GPs) are often a patient's first point of contact, playing a vital role in diagnosing and treating illnesses and coordinating their care

As a GP, you'll provide ongoing medical care for patients in the community, treating a range of illnesses and conditions. When diagnosing and recommending treatment, you'll consider physical, emotional and social factors to provide a holistic approach to care.

You'll work as part of a multidisciplinary team, supporting patients to manage their own health and wellbeing, and will typically see them in the surgery, at their home or in other care settings.

You'll decide when patients need referral to hospital clinics or other healthcare professionals for urgent or specialist treatment and may run clinics for specific conditions such as asthma or diabetes.

All GPs carry out administrative work, but if you're a partner in a practice, you'll also have business and management responsibilities.

General practice doctors are also known as general practitioners.

Responsibilities

As a GP, you'll typically need to:

• assess, diagnose and treat patients, taking into account their medical history and personal circumstances
• refer patients to hospital specialists or other healthcare professionals, when necessary, for further assessment or treatment
• promote and support health education and disease prevention within the community
• run specialist clinics for conditions or groups, such as asthma, diabetes or smoking cessation
• manage long-term conditions and provide continuity of care for patients with chronic illness
• work closely with other healthcare professionals in multidisciplinary primary care teams
• maintain accurate patient records and use digital systems such as electronic prescribing and health databases
• meet NHS quality and performance targets, in areas such as vaccination and screening programmes
• carry out administrative tasks, including signing prescriptions, death certificates and issuing fit notes, as well as preparing letters and reports
• keep up to date with medical developments, new drugs, treatments and medications and undertake continuing professional development to maintain your licence to practise.

GP partners will also need to:

• make strategic and financial decisions about the running and development of the practice
• manage budgets and financial records to ensure the practice remains viable
• recruit, train and manage practice staff
• oversee compliance with NHS contracts, quality standards and legal requirements
• monitor performance and conduct audits to maintain service quality and efficiency.

Salary

• Resident doctors in Foundation training earn between £38,831 and £44,439. You'll receive extra pay if you work over 40 hours a week. There is also a 37% enhancement for working nights and allowances for weekend and on-call work.
• A doctor in specialist training earns a basic salary of £52,656 to £73,992.
• Salaried general practitioners (GPs) in England earn between £76,038 and £114,743 depending on the length of service and experience.
• GP salaries in Wales range from £79,123 to £119,394, in Scotland they are £77,160 to £115,167 and in Northern Ireland, £74,172 to £111,928.
• GP partners are self-employed and receive a share of the profits of the business.

Salaried GPs are directly employed by primary care organisations or are employees of independent contractor practices. They receive additional benefits such as sick pay, holiday and maternity pay. If you're working as a partner GP, you won't automatically receive these benefits and will be responsible for paying your own tax.

Locum GPs are typically paid per session or day, with rates varying by location and demand.

Income data from NHS Health Careers - Pay for doctors and the British Medical Association. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

A working day typically lasts from around 8am until 6.30pm, although this can vary. Time is divided between face-to-face patient appointments, administration and phone consultations. Some surgeries open on Saturday mornings or evenings, and you may work on a rota to cover these sessions. You might also provide out-of-hours or on-call cover, including during public holidays.

There are opportunities for flexible or part-time work, and career breaks are possible, though you'll need to stay up to date with professional developments. Breaks longer than two years usually require some retraining before returning to practice.

What to expect

• You'll typically hold two patient sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, with appointments lasting around ten minutes. Between sessions, you'll complete admin tasks, make phone calls and carry out home or care home visits.
• You'll work as part of a large multidisciplinary team that may include nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, midwives and mental health professionals.
• Telephone and online consultations are increasingly common, and digital tools are playing a bigger role in patient care.
• Opportunities exist across the UK, in both urban and rural settings, with the chance to work flexibly or part time.
• The work can be emotionally demanding but also highly rewarding, offering variety and the satisfaction of supporting patients' health and wellbeing.

Qualifications

To become a GP, you must complete:

• a degree in medicine recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC)
• the two-year UK Foundation Programme of general medical training
• specialty training in general practice.

Medical degrees usually take five years to complete. However, if you already have a degree (usually a 2:1 or above in a science-related subject) you can apply for a four-year graduate-entry medicine programme (GEP). The British Medical Association (BMA) provides advice for graduates applying to medical school.

Some universities offer medicine degrees with an integrated foundation or gateway year. These courses are usually designed for students who show strong potential for a career in medicine but don't meet the traditional entry requirements and aim to widen access to the profession.

Entry into medicine is competitive, and your motivation and commitment are rigorously assessed. Most medical schools require one of the following admissions tests:

• University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) - used by most medical schools
• Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) - mainly for graduate-entry courses.

Check individual universities for test requirements and make sure you use the official practice materials before taking the admissions test.

After graduating, you'll complete the two-year paid UK Foundation Programme, rotating through both hospital and community placements:

• Foundation Year 1 (F1) - you'll work under supervision and will be granted full registration by the GMC on completion.
• Foundation Year 2 (F2) - you'll remain under clinical supervision but will take on greater responsibility for clinical decision making.

You can then apply for GP specialty training (GPST), which usually takes three years full time (or equivalent part time). Most training programmes include 18 to 24 months of work in general practice posts, with the rest of the time spent in relevant hospital or integrated training posts. You'll also sit exams leading to Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP).

Once you've successfully completed training, you'll be awarded the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and can apply to join the GMC GP Register.

Find out more about training in Scotland and Wales.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• compassion, resilience, motivation and perseverance
• excellent communication and listening skills to build trust with patients
• the ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team
• strong time management and organisational skills to balance clinical and administrative work
• the ability to work well under pressure and manage competing demands
• good general IT skills for maintaining accurate digital patient records
• leadership and decision-making skills, particularly if you're a GP partner
• a flexible approach to work and the ability to adapt to change
• business and financial awareness if you're running or managing a practice.

Work experience

Entry to medical school is competitive, and admissions tutors expect applicants to demonstrate relevant experience that shows they understand what a career in medicine involves. This isn't limited to clinical placements - most medical schools recognise a wide range of experiences that develop caring, communication and teamwork skills.

Relevant experience could include volunteering or paid work in a health, social care or community setting, such as a care home, hospice, youth organisation or charity. Shadowing healthcare professionals in hospitals, GP surgeries or clinics can provide valuable insight, but isn't essential.

You can also explore virtual opportunities such as Observe GP, developed by the RCGP, which provides an online introduction to general practice, or access free mentoring and virtual work experience through Medic Mentor.

You can also learn more about the profession by watching documentaries, listening to podcasts or reading articles about healthcare. What matters most is how you reflect on what you've learned about working as a GP.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Most GPs work in independent general practices, which are contracted by the NHS to deliver primary care services to patients in a local area. Some GPs also work in private practice, although these roles are less common.

There are limited opportunities for GPs in the armed forces and the civil service, including posts in prisons and other secure environments. Medical charities and aid organisations in the UK and overseas may also employ qualified GPs.

Most practices in England are run as GP partnerships - small or medium-sized businesses owned and managed by two or more partners, usually GPs. These partnerships hold contracts with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to provide NHS services, sharing staff, premises and resources. Partner GPs combine clinical duties with business management responsibilities.

Look for job vacancies at:

• BMJ Careers
• Jobs.hscni.net (Northern Ireland)
• NHS Jobs (England and Wales)
• NHSScotland Jobs
• RCGP Jobs

Professional development

As a GP, you'll need to carry out continuing professional development (CPD) and revalidation throughout your career to remain on the General Medical Council (GMC) register. This demonstrates that your knowledge and skills are up to date and that you're fit to practise.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) offers a wide range of CPD opportunities, including courses, events, eLearning, knowledge updates and publications - see RCGP Learning for details.

Newly qualified GPs can become First5 members of the RCGP, a membership level for doctors in their first five years of independent practice. First5 members gain access to mentoring, peer networks and professional resources designed to support the transition from training into independent practice.

Keeping a professional portfolio helps you record your CPD activities and reflect on your learning. It can also support appraisals, revalidation and job applications. The NHS e-Portfolio for doctors offers tools and guidance for maintaining this record.

Career prospects

You can work as a salaried GP, focusing on clinical care, or become a GP partner, taking joint responsibility for running the practice and shaping its direction. It's also possible to work as a locum, providing short-term cover across practices with less involvement in administration.

With further training, you could become a GP with an Extended Role (GPwER), delivering specialist services in areas such as ADHD, allergy, dermatology or palliative care.

There are also opportunities to move into teaching, research or public health or to work in settings such as the armed forces or prisons.

As your career develops, you may take on leadership or management roles within your practice or a Primary Care Network (PCN). The RCGP Leadership Programme and NHS Leadership Academy Programmes support GPs to develop the leadership skills needed for these types of roles.