BMA Scotland Welcomes First Minister's Commitment To NHS General Practice

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 04 Sep 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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BMA Scotland welcomed the First Minister's announcement that the Scottish Government is to bring forward a Health Bill which will include measures to close the legal loophole that will prevent commercial companies providing GP services in Scotland.

Dr Brian Keighley, deputy chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said:

"The measures announced today by the First Minister to protect NHS general practice are very welcome and reflects the importance of general practice as the cornerstone of the NHS. General Practice, delivered under the auspices of the NHS will ensure that patient care comes before profit and patients can be assured of continuity of care. In order to maintain services to patients, however, the Scottish Government must ensure that it develops and delivers a clear strategy for General Practice in partnership with the profession."

The BMA also welcomed plans to introduce tougher public health measures to tackle alcohol misuse and make it more difficult for children to purchase tobacco.

Dr Keighley added:

"Doctors across Scotland witness first hand the damaging effects that alcohol misuse and a lifetime of addiction to tobacco can have on their patients. The SNP has taken up the mantle to challenge Scotland's reputation as the sick man of Europe and, in light of recent WHO statistics there is clearly some way to go. The BMA therefore supports many of the initiatives outlined in the Tobacco Action Plan, in particular measures to prevent the tobacco industry from flouting existing advertising legislation."

At its annual conference in July, the BMA passed the following resolution:

That this Meeting asks the BMA to campaign for amendments of the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2004, the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004, and the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005, so that they no longer allow corporate provision of general medical services in Scotland.

The BMA has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on alcohol misuse. This is available online.

The BMA's own Action Plan to tackle teen smoking is available online.

BMA Scotland
Public Affairs Office
14 Queen Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1LL
http://www.bma.org.uk/scotland