ABSTRACT
Some years ago, the then Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Dr Clare Gerada, was concerned for the future of the profession, as many of her peers were taking early retirement and numbers entering the profession were dwindling. The profession was being challenged and doctors were unhappy. She recognized that a Group Analytic approach could address this complex situation; using small and large group meetings to explore the pressures GPs were exposed to in the consulting room, in the surgery, fighting for local resources, and as respected professionals. She wanted to create a kinder profession and needed to identify the structures and assumptions that discouraged GPs from taking care of themselves and doing what they knew would be good for them and their patients. This chapter describes how this group analytic consultation was conceptualized and implemented. The success of the approach has led to established national funding, and it continues.
