My name is Dr Choudhary, and I am a GP working in an inner city area in London, just on the edge of the East End. I started work as a GP in this area over 20 years ago. In recent years many developments, both technological and social, have occurred, affecting the practice enormously.
I enjoyed my work here a lot at the beginning and I still do now. But there are many problems an in area like this, which you would not find in rural communities in this country or in my home country — India. The crime rates are high, which affects the morale of the patients we serve and ultimately the morale of the GP practice. The workload is heavier than in most rural districts, which sometimes puts potential GPs off moving into the area. However, I have always found the job very rewarding. Another feature of an inner city GP practice is that patients move around a lot. As regards compensation for working in deprived areas in the inner city, sometimes GPs receive extra payment.
