GPs on holiday in Cornwall asked to pick up extra shifts

‘If you’re a GP coming down to Cornwall on holiday, and you fancy a locum session or two (to help pay for the extortionate costs of the hols) please give me a shout’

The Roseland Peninsula, where the surgeries are located, is popular with holidaymakers (AFP via Getty Images)

Doctors enjoying a holiday in Cornwall are being asked to take shifts at GPs in the area to help cope with a shortage in staff.

GPs on holiday on the Roseland Peninsula are being offered locum shifts to help with a shortage of doctors there.

Several surgeries in the Roseland area of the county took to social media to advertise the shifts which they said could help to “pay for the extortionate cost of the hols.”

Practice manager Nicola Davies took to Twitter to advertise the shifts after having tried to fill them, in more conventional ways, with no success. She wrote on social media asking holidaying doctors to “give her a shout.”

She tweeted: “If you’re a GP coming down to Cornwall on holiday, and you fancy a locum session or two (to help pay for the extortionate costs of the hols) please give me a shout....you might like what you see!”

Ms Davies added in the comments that “needs must” and that she could email anyone interested with more information, even offering free cinnamon buns to those who took up the offer.

The team apparently usually has four doctors based on the Roseland peninsula, where popular holiday spots St Mawes and Portscatho are located, but has been struggling with staff shortages since one doctor resigned and another relocated.

The remaining doctors want to take their own holidays, leaving the practice struggling. As a result, practice manager Ms Davies decided that advertising on Twitter could help to solve the problem.

Ms Davies explained that as she “follows a number of doctors” she decided to reach out on the social media platform.

She added that as the practices were located in “a holiday hotspot” she “figured there might be some doctors [in the area] that might fancy a session or two.”

Paul Cook, chairman of the GP and NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, commented: “Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are preparing for a bumper holiday staycation season, which is fantastic news but means, we’d like to hear from GPs who would be keen to work while holidaying with us.”

He went on to add: “As with general practices up and down the country we have a number of GP vacancies, and we would love to encourage people to relocate and work in our wonderful county - who wouldn’t want to be in such a stunning and friendly place.”

Ms Davies’ tweet, coupled with an attractive photograph of Portscatho, was met with interest from medics across the country.

One woman posted: "My husband is a GP - please tell me how to book a shift."

Another man replied: "GP partner for 18 years - anything needed in September?"