NHS GP Health Service (GPH)

The NHS GP Health Service (GPH) is a service for GPs or GP trainees across England, with issues relating to mental health concerns or addiction problems, often where this might be affecting their work.

The central service is based in London, and is led by Dr Clare Gerada FRCGP FRCPsych, a general practitioner with extensive expertise in managing addiction and mental health problems and significant experience of treating health professionals. We have experienced clinicians and therapists working from loca-tions across England able to offer assessment and ongoing treatment.

GPH is a confidential service, which seeks to protect doctor-patients from the stigma associated with mental ill health and addiction. GPH aims to get doctor-patients healthy and work-ing, whilst safeguarding their patients, making sure the doctor is well enough to see patients safely. GPH recognises that -

•  Doctors are more likely than the average person to suffer from problems with drugs, drink and depression.
•  Up to 20% of UK doctors become depressed at some point in their career.
•  Doctors have higher standardised mortality rates in respect of cirrhosis, accident and suicide.
•  Suicide rates among female NHS doctors have been shown to be twice that of the general female population.
•  Evidence shows that doctors are more likely to suffer from work-related mental ill health than other professions.

GPH is hosted by the NHS Practitioner Health Programme which has significant success rates for its practitioner-patients

•  88.1% remain in or returned to work during contact with PHP.
•  81% abstinent and attending PHP on a regular basis. (This compares to 10-20% of non-health professional population being abstinent).

For further details please download the leaflet at the top of the page.