GP Salary in UK: How Much Can A General Practitioner Earn? 

London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – General Practitioners are responsible for treating the most common medical conditions and illnesses. They refer patients to hospitals and prominent doctors when they need urgent medical treatment. There is no doubt GP is an all-rounders and they must be able to detect and diagnose potential diseases. If the patient is in danger they will be the first ones to detect the problem. These doctors are an essential part of the health care community.

They need to get to know their patients no matter where they are practicing. There are more than 1.3 million GP consultants in the UK. It gives you an idea about their duties and responsibilities as they work diligently. GPs can perform surgeries or go to patients’ homes occasionally, mainly in the NHS. However, the GP can also work privately in many cases.

What Is The Average Salary For A GP?

The average salary of a GP is around £98,000 a year. According to the latest research, this payment can increase depending on your age and experience. This is why the salary of a GP may vary in different situations. The GPs with lesser experience can earn around £60,000 a year. While a handful of them who are more experienced can easily earn up to £200,000. They have to manage several practices and thousands of patients. It is necessary to know how a GP operates before finding the right amount of salary. Some of them are salaried while others are owners of small businesses.

What Is The Starting Salary of A GP?

If we talk about the minimum annual salary of a GP is £60,455 a year. However, all those who have a private business may have a different pay scale altogether. They can receive a good amount of profits that come from their business. This is why the earnings vary depending on the performance of the business. If a GP is attending more patients in a day they can earn a lot more than others. It is important to note that most GPs run like franchises and have a contract with NHS England.

The general practitioner has a wide range of practices and patients to cover. Some of the GP partners can earn a big amount of money if they perform very well. However, the GP partners cannot expect to have any profits. The salaried GPs don’t need to worry about anything and can earn a good amount of money. Moreover, they don’t have to worry about organizing their tax bill.

It is worth mentioning that all GPs can begin a career only after earning a good degree. Whether they have a degree in medicine or a two-year foundation program, they can start working. If they plan to work as a junior doctor it can help them get many profits. The pay with this qualification phase starts at £27,000 a year. This amount is considered good, especially for a fresh worker.

Why Are GP Salaries Misunderstood?

The payment of a GP is often a popular topic among journalists and the public. With so much speculation and scrutiny it has become difficult to find out about their real salary. Many articles are published that criticize the unnecessarily high payments for the GP. They are considered millionaires and often become a subject of criticism. However, these articles are highly unfair and misleading. Normally a qualified GP in the UK today earns under 45,000. The number of earning £200,000 or £1 million a year, is quite rare.

In reality, many top GPs earn somewhere between £70,000 and £100,000. These salaries are still a little higher as compared to other fields. Some articles claim that even surgeons and consultants are underpaid when compared with a general practitioners. The earnings of non-salaries GP partners are a little challenging to find out.

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What Does The Future Hold For GPs?

The future of GPs is hard to predict as their working style keeps changing rapidly. It will likely have an impact on the potential earnings. The use of advanced analytics software can bring a different result in terms of their payment. These items will completely transform the way patients and doctors work. 

As patients are monitored with the help of advanced technology it can be a threat to a GP. Usually, 90% of the activities are handled by professional GPs in the UK. Many patients with chronic illnesses have to visit a doctor every day. However, the perception that a GP can earn a million or more is not true considering all these factors.

Beth Malcolm

Beth Malcolm is Scottish based Journalist at Heriot-Watt University studying French and British Sign Language. She is originally from the north west of England but is living in Edinburgh to complete her studies.