Darzi's Final Vision For Primary Care Is Positive Though Undermined By Previous Announcements

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 05 Jul 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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While many of the ambitions within the government's Vision for Primary and Community Care are welcome, previously announced government proposals will undermine the positive in this report, the BMA said on Thursday 3 July 2008.

Commenting on Lord Darzi's report, Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA's GP Committee said:

"There is much within this vision for primary care that is positive. We are pleased that Lord Darzi recognises the talents and professionalism of GPs and wants them to have the freedom to provide the services their patients want, and more control over how they do it. Family doctors want to provide the best service they can to their patients and to expand what they can offer, with adequate staffing and resources. Some of the ideas are not new - patients have always been able to consult by phone and practices have always been funded on the basis of the number of patients who are registered with them. Many of the ideas, such as personal plans for all patients, faster and simpler access to a wider range of community based services and early intervention to improve the long-term outcomes for patients, are good and welcome. We particularly welcome the statement that "changes will be driven not through top-down targets but by giving responsibility to the staff at local level."

Commenting on the Minister of Health, Ben Bradshaw's comments about GP choice, Dr Buckman said:

"There are lots of opportunities to improve general practice within this report, unfortunately the government's recent behaviour towards GPs has destroyed any trust they had in the government's ability to run the NHS1. GPs are a key part of the health workforce and rather than taking petty public swipes at family doctors as Ben Bradshaw has done, the government would be much better off working with us rather than against us. We want to see general practice be the best it can be for patients. While we welcome the good notions in this report, we are still to be convinced that previous government announcements, and by that I mean the polyclinic agenda, will do anything other than damage general practice and continuity of care for patients.

"Choice of a GP is a good thing for patients, but unnecessary and potentially destructive competition ends up wasting NHS resources. We know every Primary Care Trust has to build a 'GP-led health centre' or 'polyclinic' if they want any new money to invest in primary care. GPs and the one and a quarter million patients who signed our petition want to know why that money can't be used to improve existing practices. Lack of investment is the reason why patients in some areas have trouble registering with new surgeries. A practice may be full to bursting but when they ask the local Primary Care Trust for money to expand they're told there is none. We hope the £250 million extra investment promised by Lord Darzi, which is very welcome, is spent wisely."

1. A recent BMA poll of 27,000 GPs published in March 2008 found that 97% of English GPs said they have no confidence in the government's handling of the NHS.

British Medical Association
www.bma.org.uk