MANY Bolton doctors are at the end of their tether because of the "outrageous" demands made by some patients, a GP claims.

And he says some older members of the profession in the 50 to 60 age group are now desperate to get out.

The situation is being made worse by a shortage of younger people joining the profession, throwing more pressure on fewer GPs.

"We are now so far into the fire that I really don't know if we can pull ourselves out," said Dr Barry Silvert, a partner in Stonehill Medical Centre in Piggott Street, Farnworth and Director of Bolton Medical Services.

"Doctors have quite literally reached the end of their tethers.

"Not only are they expected to make night calls for, quite frankly, ridiculous reasons but when they arrive they are treated disgracefully.

"We need patients to accept some responsibility for their own health and well-being, to show understanding and think twice.

"The demands on us are quite frankly outrageous, Christmas and New Year were horrendous, doctors were run ragged and at one point things got so bad that the whole system was on the point of collapse," he added. Dr Silvert and his colleagues in the medical centre have already taken steps to tackle patients' demanding attitudes.

But they want more money put into a nationwide campaign urging patients to treat their GP with respect and not to abuse the out of hours service.

They also want to see lessons on health and personal well-being, to encourage people to recognise symptoms.

"Neither I nor any of my colleagues object to making out of hours calls when the case is a genuine one, but we are being abused dreadfully and we are now at breaking point. Something has to give," he said.

"It is the attitudes which annoy the profession, and patients' demands and expectations which cause the greatest concern.

"We aren't moaning, we are simply requesting that people adopt a more responsible attitude and accept that GPs need leisure time.

"We have reached the very end of the road and unless things improve we will be left with nowhere to go."

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