NHS patients are being forced to endure a Third World service, according to an Oxfordshire GP.

Dr Rickman Godlee, of the Church Street Practice, in Wantage, said problems in the NHS had left GPs struggling to meet new Government targets, without extra funding or resources.

He said that although Oxfordshire fared better than most areas, parts of the county's NHS were at breaking point. He encouraged patients needing quick treatment to go abroad.

He said: "The health service has always done well for people who are really sick. If you have a major problem, the NHS is the place to be. For the majority of things though, it's a Third World service. Hospitals are dirty, nurses are under paid and under valued, and doctors are fed up and under resourced. Morale is at an all time low.

"Pay is paltry for nurses. Young people going into nursing can do just as well working in a supermarket. Health care is hard work, but terribly rewarding. There comes a time though when you say: 'Hang this'."

He added: "People should be able to see a doctor within 48 hours but that is not being achieved in Wantage at the moment, as we don't have the resources.

"Morale is low as it has ever been. If you need something doing at the moment, people would be better off going abroad. They would be treated quicker if they went to France, Germany or anywhere in Europe.

"If patients have private insurance or are able to pay, I'd encourage them to do that because they will be dealt with quicker and efficiently.

"I am getting increasingly ashamed of the service we offer patients. The delays to be seen in outpatients, for investigation in hospital, and waiting lists for operations are just awful."

Dr Godlee, who is also the BMA Medical Committee representative for Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, said Government initiatives, like a minimum two-week wait for cancer patients and 48-hour wait for a GP appointments, were under-funded, and meant doctors were overloaded with work.

His own week is 90 hours long. During an average day he sees 30 patients in surgery hours, before making home visits, consulting by telephone and completing paperwork. A lot of his time is spent chasing up hospital referrals for patients.

He added: "There is a problem in the NHS as a whole caused by under-funding over many years. People expect that I will be able to do more for them. There's only so much of me that I can spread around. I want to do more, but I can't.

"I was one of 120 applicants for my job in 1984. We would be hard pushed to find a single full-time doctor if we wanted to replace one of our partners. People are not coming into the profession and don't want to stay in it once they are here. There's a danger there will be no GPs soon."

Dr Godlee is now supporting a BMA ballot, due in by May 30, asking GPs if they would be prepared to consider resigning from the NHS in April, 2002, unless negotiations have been made on a new contract for GPs.

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