Dismantling Lord Moran’s ladder: the primary care expert generalist

Published Date: 01st January 2013

Publication Authors: Irving G

Extract
It is over 50 years since Lord Moran suggested that GPs were doctors who have fallen off the specialist ladder.2 Then, two-thirds of early career GPs would have preferred to have been specialists.2 Today Lord Moran’s ladder lives on. General practice is still not a first career choice for many graduates, certainly not enough to sustain the workforce we need.3 Our conversations with early career medics reveal that they value the opportunities for flexible working within general practice. But also that they want ‘something more’ than the GP role: notably, opportunities to develop ‘special interests’. We suggest this represents a failure to recognise, or value, the specific expertise of the GP role itself; and in particular a misunderstanding of the primary care expert generalist approach.

Reeve, J; Irving, G; Freeman, G. (2013). Dismantling Lord Moran’s ladder: the primary care expert generalist. British Journal of General Practice. 63 (606), 34-35

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