Table 3 Indicators of under- and over-supply

• Doctor provision well below the national average.

• Growth of the workforce well in excess of population growth.

• Underservicing and unmet needs; unacceptably long waiting times; consumers dissatisfied with access.

• Declining average patient numbers; declining average practitioner incomes; insufficient work/variety of work to maintain skills.

• Overworked practitioners; high levels of dissatisfaction with the stress of overwork and inability to meet population needs.

• Underemployment, wasted resources.

• Vacancies, unfilled public positions; employment of temporarily-resident doctors to fill unmet needs; substitution of services by alternative providers.