PRESS RELEASE: "The Health Secretary has got the right diagnosis but the wrong prescription” says LLRLMC
Publication date 22nd September: For Immediate Release
"The Health Secretary has got the right diagnosis but the wrong prescription” says LLRLMC
Responding to the Health Secretary’s announcement of “Our Plans for Patients,” Dr Grant Ingrams, Managing Partner of Oakmeadow Surgery, Glenfield and Chair of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Medical Committee, said:
“We welcome the health Secretary’s acknowledgement that general practice is under pressure and urgently needs more GPs and support staff to be able to function. However, it is clear that this plan has been written without the input of GPs working in practices struggling on a daily basis to provide a service that their patients need.”
“The number of GPs continues to reduce and workload increase. Instead of 6,000 additional GPs that the Conservative party promised there are now 1,857 fewer fully qualified GPs compared to 2015, which is the lowest number ever recorded[i]. There are now 16% more patients per GP compared with 2015.”
“At the same time workload has increased. The population has increased, and GPs are having to cope with extremely complex patients who should be under a specialist but languish on long waiting lists due to the huge hospital backlog. GP practices provide over a million appointments every day. The increase in GP appointments in May 2022 was so great that it was the major factor in increasing the UK gross domestic product (GDP)[ii].”
“The solutions proposed by the Secretary of State are welcome, but will have minimal, if any, positive benefits on general practice.”
“Announcing that all patients should be seen within two weeks, inappropriately raises patient expectations when there is not going to be a sufficient increased capacity in general practice to meet this target. This will result in understandable increased frustrations for patients, which we are concerned will lead to increased episodes of abuse and violence against our staff. The outcome is likely to be more GPs, other health care professionals and staff leaving the NHS.”
“Demanding practices to meet the tick box target to see patients within two weeks is likely to result in practices providing services determined by how long a patient has waited rather than how soon they should be seen based upon clinical need.”
“Whilst LLRLMC believe that the Secretary of State has made the right diagnosis, her prescription is likely to lead to more GPs and Staff leaving the NHS, more practices closing down, and a worse service for patients”
Ends
Further Information:
Dr Grant Ingrams, Chair of LLRLMC 07973630838
Notes to Editors:
The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Medical Committee is an elected representative body with statutory functions to represent NHS GPs in this area.