Stuart Kyle has been a GP partner at Llansamlet Surgery in Swansea for 18 months, and a GP for nearly three years.

Since he started, Stuart says ‘he’s seen a significant increase’ in workload. Even though he loves the job, he is extremely concerned by what he regards as the dismantling of the GP partner role.

'When I first decided to become a GP, I wanted to become a partner, I really believed in the value of the partnership model and so did my peers but in just a few years I have seen a shift in doctors deciding against partnerships or leaving partnerships for their own wellbeing.

'This is because the demands of the role are far too great, the huge responsibility and pressure to assess patients with complex needs in just a few minutes can really take its toll.'

The value of general practice

'Not enough value is placed on the role of general practice when considering the health of the nation. So much focus is placed on bringing waiting lists down but what about the preventative agenda and managing patients on a day-to-day basis? We’re the most cost-effective and efficient part of the NHS and yet again, with this year's derisory offer, we are taken completely for granted.

'With growing waiting lists in secondary care, the work piles up for GPs. In one day, I was required to sign 22 fitness to work requests largely because patients aren’t getting what they need to get better.

'Waiting lists to see physiotherapists, occupational therapists and waiting for operations means even more work for GPs and yet there is no additional investment or resource going into the vital work of general practice.

'This is added pressure on our time because during each consultation the needs of the patients are more complex, and we’re genuinely concerned that this might mean we don’t have time for every patient who needs us, or that we may miss something.

The toll on GPs

'After we’ve seen patients in the surgery or via home visits, we then need to fulfill our significant administrative duties and typically this is done in our own time out of surgery hours. This often means many doctors, including myself effectively working for free just to keep the service going. This is unsustainable, with many colleagues burning out and choosing to leave or reduce their hours for the sake of their own wellbeing.

Why I’m voting to reject the contract and stand up for general practice

'The workforce is burning out, practices are closing their doors – this is a crisis. If we accept the offer as it is, we accept that we can continue to do more with less.

'We simply cannot continue on this trajectory, it is unsafe and unsustainable. This is our chance to change the future of general practice and that’s why I have voted to reject the offer.

'We know that if general practice was given a fairer portion of NHS funding for the wide-ranging portfolio of services we provide, the NHS in Wales would have a far greater chance of success, and most importantly, benefit patients overall and that’s what we’re all fighting for.'

The BMA Welsh GPs committee had no choice but to reject the offer based on serious concerns about the future of the service and is now recommending the wider profession does the same in a referendum on the contract offer which launched on 25 November and will run until 16 December