Should we be worried by the news last week of a continued decline in the number of junior doctors applying for GP training?

Yes — not so much by the actual numbers but by the trend towards a health system that has a lower percentage of doctors involved in primary and community care.

We know this results in higher costs, loss of patient centredness and inequity of access — ­factors that contribute to poorer patient outcomes.

But in understanding what is happening, it’s worth offering the historical context.