latest health care news

26.04.17

RCGP: NHS must not be eclipsed by Brexit during election

Patient care cannot take a ‘back seat to Brexit’ as the UK’s politicians get on the campaign trail leading up to the snap general election on 8 June a key health organisation has stated.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has today called on politicians to use the election as a catalyst to fix the crisis in general practice and address a number of key concerns, including pressures arising from staff shortages and the status of EU workers in the health sector.

This follows Labour pledging to get rid of the 1% cap on NHS staff wages amongst a number of key promises to healthcare workers – policies that health organisations have given their support to.

To outline its key points, the RCGP has launched its own manifesto that points to the key problems that must be prioritised during the debates in the run up to the general election.

These points include, delivering the GP Forward View in England with an additional £2.4bn per year in general practice by 2020, and following through on the aim to employ at least 5,000 more full time GPs.  

The RCGP also reiterated a call made by the BMA to guarantee the work status of EU healthcare professionals already living in the UK, and extend the GP specialty training from three to four years to accommodate for the increasingly complex health needs of patients in primary care.

Finally, the doctors’ group also called for long-term measures to reduce indemnity costs to GPs, and the introduction of a ‘return to work’ scheme to boost the number of nurses and mental health therapists in practices.

Chair of the RCGP Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard warned that the future of general practice was too important to be “left hanging in the balance” while politicians concentrate solely on Brexit.

“General practice is on a knife edge,” she said. “GP workloads are spiralling and patients are facing longer waiting times for an appointment because we simply don't have the resources or enough doctors to provide safe care in the face of soaring patient demand.
 
“The majority of patient contact happens in general practice - over 1m people will receive care at their GP surgery today alone – but the slice of the NHS budget for general practice has been whittled away over successive years, resulting in just 8.79% being spent on our service in 2015/16.”
 
According to Prof Stokes-Lampard, the GP Forward view, which has now been running for a full year, was the “lifeline” that general practice needed, and urged politicians to use the “window of opportunity” provided by the general election to ensure pledges in the plan were acted on.

“Regardless of the result on 8 June, it is crucial that any future government delivers the investment and support our GPs so desperately need to provide the high-quality care that all our patients need and deserve,” she concluded.

“When general practice thrives, the NHS survives and we will be doing everything we can between now and 8 June to ensure that the collective voice of hardworking GPs and our patients is heard loud and clear by the political parties of all persuasions.”

Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

national health executive tv

more videos >

featured articles

View all News

last word

Haseeb Ahmad: ‘We all have a role to play in getting innovations quicker’

Haseeb Ahmad: ‘We all have a role to play in getting innovations quicker’

Haseeb Ahmad, president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), sits down with National Health Executive as part of our Last Word Q&A series. Would you talk us throu more > more last word articles >

health service focus

View all News

comment

NHS England dementia director prescribes rugby for mental health and dementia patients

23/09/2019NHS England dementia director prescribes rugby for mental health and dementia patients

Reason to celebrate as NHS says watching rugby can be good for your mental ... more >
Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

21/06/2019Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

Taking time to say thank you is one of the hidden pillars of a society. Bei... more >

interviews

Matt Hancock says GP recruitment is on the rise to support ‘bedrock of the NHS’

24/10/2019Matt Hancock says GP recruitment is on the rise to support ‘bedrock of the NHS’

Today, speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) annual... more >

the scalpel's daily blog

Covid-19 can signal a new deal with the public on health

28/08/2020Covid-19 can signal a new deal with the public on health

Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive, NHS Employers & Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Confederation The common enemy of coronavirus united the public side by side wi... more >
read more blog posts from 'the scalpel' >