Cornish town finds new GP after viral music video appeal

  • Watch the recruitment video by Lostwithiel Medical Practice

A town in Cornwall has found a new GP thanks to a recruitment video that was viewed millions of times. 

‘Lostwithiel Needs A Doctor’ shared the video back in February with the caption: “Our small Cornish town needs new GPs and the whole community wants outstanding doctors to apply!”

Lostwithiel Medical Practice created the video with help from residents and staff to try to find someone to replace one of the town’s experienced GPs who was retiring. 

At the time, organiser Emma Mansfield said: “We wrote a song very quickly, we got local musicians to arrange it, and we decided to come up with a crazy pop video as a call to action."

The video also highlighted the strain on GPs and the struggle with recruitment.

Partner Justin Hendriksz said in February: “It is a busy surgery, it's busier than it was five years ago. We serve about 5,500 patients in a relatively large area.

“I find it very surprising that Cornwall and the South West is struggling to recruit doctors. I came [from South Africa] 15 years ago for a short locum and never left.” 

Dr Justin Hendriksz said the lack of response shows a recruitment issue

The video was picked up by international media outlets and shared across social media too - collecting millions of views.

Now fast-forward seven months and the vacancy has been filled by Dr Bethan Woodfield. 

Although Dr Woodfield was brought up in Lostwithiel, she was working in Cheshire when she saw the video. She’s now a month into the role.

Dr Bethan Woodfield has been in the role for a month Credit: Dr Justin Hendriksz

Dr Hendriksz said: "It feels wonderful to have Bethan, she's settled in really well. She's already got patients of her own, requesting her."

He said someone told him that around 193 million people all over the world have seen parts of the video. Yet despite this, there were only three applicants from the UK.

"It's amazing how well the video did, but I was shocked by the lack of response despite how viral it went. I couldn't believe it."

Dr Hendriksz said this shows there's a problem recruiting GPs generally, and that he doesn't think it's about how rural Lostwithiel is.

"The best thing to come out of this was Bethan, and the fact our community and patients have cut us a lot more slack knowing how much effort we went to, to find someone.

"It also brought the community together, which is a great thing.

It's amazing how well the video did, but the lack of response was astounding."