Loneliness as bad for health as long-term illness, says GPs' chief

GPs will be urged to make time to see lonely patients, who are 50% more likely to die prematurely than people with good social network

Being lonely can be as bad for someone’s health as having a long-term illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure, the leader of Britain’s GPs will warn on Thursday.

Patients who visit their family doctor because they are suffering from loneliness and want some human contact are adding to the pressures the NHS is under, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard will tell the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

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from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2yhyR4D