Managers campaign to save general practice

Practice managers have launched a campaign to “save general practice”, highlighting the pressures and strains they face. The campaign from the IGPM calls on patients to write to their MPs asking them to support the campaign. It follows the imposition of the new GP contract with a funding increase of just 1.9%.

One practice manager from Kent wrote: “We are providing more holding care than ever to patients who have fallen victim to the extensive and growing waiting lists in secondary care… Our funding is antiquated at best and we are barely holding our heads above the water in the tide of an ever-growing cost of living crisis.”

The Royal College of GPs has also objected to the new contract. Meanwhile the BMA is considering a ballot of GPs over the imposition of the latest contract, with action timed for the autumn.

Same day appointment hubs plan shelved

A controversial plan for “same day” hubs, which would triage patients seeking practice appointments, has been shelved due to GP concerns.

The North West London ICB had proposed introducing the hubs on 1^st April. Yesterday it said it would be seeking other ways to spend the £6.6 million it has received to improve access to appointments.

In a statement it said: “NHS North West London remains committed to improving access to primary care. This is the number one issue residents consistently raise with us, as do practices concerned about the growing pressures they are under. Having listened to feedback from our patient groups, GPs and primary care networks, we recognise that our proposals to increase access have been misinterpreted. It is for this reason that we have decided to allow more time to work with PCNs, GPs and patients to clarify our plans.”

Campaign to boost MMR vaccination as virus threat grows

A new national campaign has urged parents to ensure their children get MMR vaccination as the virus continues to spread across the UK.

During February, the UK Health Security Agency warned, there were 183 new cases in England – with 43% of these in the West Midlands. There were 69 cases last week. The campaign includes advertising on television, social media, radio and digital displays.

The Chief Executive of UKHSA, Professor Dame Jenny Harries, said: “We need an urgent reversal of the decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations to protect our communities. Through this campaign we are particularly appealing to parents to check their children’s vaccination status and book appointments if their children have missed any immunisations. The ongoing measles outbreak we are seeing is a reminder of the very present threat.”

Budget relies on NHS tech investment

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has stated that the NHS will be expected to invest heavily in new technology and improve productivity.

NHS England said it had agreed to reach annual productivity growth of 2% over the next four years. The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt pledged a £3.4 billion capital fund for investment in new technology. NHS funding is to increase by £2.45 billion next year, according to the Chancellor.

Deputy Chair of the BMA, Dr Emma Runswick, commented: “Today’s announcement on funding for digital transformation in the NHS is long overdue and welcome, but with a lack of meaningful investment to boost and retain the workforce or repair crumbling buildings, today’s Budget far from fixes all of the problems facing the NHS, its staff and the nation’s health.”

Practices and partners reduce in Wales

Last year in Wales, practice numbers reduced by eight (2%), while just two-thirds of fully qualified GPs were partners, a reduction of 6.8 percentage points, according to Welsh Government statistics. Overall, the number of GPs increased because of the growing numbers of salaried and locum doctors. The nation saw a 3.5% increase in administrative staff in practices, according to the data, which measures the 12 months to September 2023.

BMA Welsh GP Chair, Dr Gareth Oelmann, said: “The decrease in full-time equivalent GPs and the increase in those moving away from the partnership model is unsurprising in the context of current financial challenges faced by GP partners and their staff. We remain concerned that this growing trend will impact the continuity of care provided.”