What’s the difference between GPs and hospital doctors?
There are many different types of doctors. But one of the easiest distinctions to make is that between a GP and a hospital doctor.
While both are medical professionals, they differ in various aspects; including their primary work environments, scope of practice, training and payment methods.
A GP is your first point of contact for patients with non-emergency medical problems. They provide primary healthcare services and refer to specialist hospital doctors when needed.
In contrast, hospital doctors, focus on treating these more complex patients generally only in their specific areas of interest.
Both GPs and hospital doctors undergo rigorous medical training. However, their training pathways differ significantly. This is explained below.
Key points
- GPs provide primary healthcare services and serve as the first point of contact for patients, while hospital doctors specialise in specific medical areas
- Both professionals undergo rigorous medical training, but GPs transition from hospital rotations to general practice settings, whereas hospital doctors continue working in secondary healthcare (hospitals)
- The work environment, scope of practice, and patient interactions differ for GPs and hospital doctors, contributing to the distinctions between their roles.
What does a GP do?
A General Practitioner (GP) is a doctor who provides primary care to patients in the local community – usually in the form of a local general practice.
They deal with a wide range of health issues, from diagnosing and managing chronic diseases, to providing preventive measures.
GPs are usually the first point of contact for people seeking medical help.
In some cases, if a patient’s condition is more serious or requires specialised care, a GP may refer them to a hospital doctor or other health professional.
GPs usually work in GP surgeries and health centres, and they play a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of their local community. Some of their responsibilities include:
- Diagnosing and treating – a variety of medical conditions, both physical and mental
- Monitoring patients’ progress – over the course of treatment
- Providing health education and advice on disease prevention
- Coordinating care with other healthcare professionals, such as nurses and pharmacists
- Being responsible for long-term prescribing
- Referring patients to hospital-based specialist doctors (including mental health), or other services when necessary
- Training. After medical school, it takes about 5 years to become a GP
- Pay. How they are paid is different. GPs are self-employed. The general practice is paid a fixed amount by the NHS per patient per year and this is divided up. In this way, there is no ‘normal salary’, and salaries are very variable. Can work part-time.
Note. In the UK’s NHS patients cannot refer themselves directly to hospital specialist doctors. “Mm, why not?” [“that’s a good question .. nothing to do with hospital docs trying to control their workload of course” MyHSN Ed].
What does a hospital doctor do?
Hospital doctors, unlike GPs, provide specialised care to their patients within a hospital setting.
They are experts in specific fields of medicine, and work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to offer comprehensive care to patients.
Hospital doctors usually work in one of the many medical specialties; such as surgery, medicine, obstetrics, paediatrics, and psychiatry .. to name a few.
The role of a hospital doctor can varies considerably, depending on their specialisation, but some of their common duties include:
- Assessing and diagnosing patients with complex medical conditions
- Implementing treatment plans for these conditions
- Collaborating with other healthcare professionals (including other specialists in the hospital, as well as GPs) – to ensure optimal patient care
- Performing specialist treatments – e.g. surgery, medical procedures, or specialised treatments (dialysis, chemotherapy etc)
- Monitoring patients’ progress – and adjusting treatment plans as needed
- Training. After medical school, it takes about 10 years to become a hospital consultant
- Pay. Hospital doctors are paid a salary (not dependent on how many patients they see). There are many pay levels, according to experience but these are the same all over the country. Can also work part-time.
Communication between GPs and hospital doctors
Communication is important between GPs and hospital doctors, especially:
- When GPs refer patients to hospital doctors and the latter sends back advice to them
- Or when hospital doctors discharge patients back to their GPs.
Summary
We have described what is the difference between GPs and hospital doctors. We hope it has been helpful.
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