Doctors Urge The Government To Sit Down And Talk About The NHS, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 05 Oct 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Following the launch of Lord Darzi's report, Deputy Chairman of the BMA's GPs Committee, Dr Richard Vautrey, has said doctors want to sit down with ministers and talk about key issues such as GP access and infection control.

He commented:

"We agree with Lord Darzi that the NHS needs to be patient centred and clinically led. The best way to develop a first class NHS is to sit down with patients and representatives of the BMA to decide how to tailor services to meet their needs. We have expressed a willingness to do this on many occasions and we hope the government will now sit down and discuss their concerns with us.

"It is important to remember that one size does not fit all when you are talking about healthcare. There needs to be local implementation of policies to suit local health needs. We are concerned that polyclinics could threaten patient care because they may centralise healthcare and take patients away from the personal service they receive from their family doctors. There are many practical and resource issues to be resolved and the BMA is anxious that we start productive discussions as soon as possible."

Dr Jonathan Fielden, Chairman of the BMA Consultant's Committee, added:

"As innovators in healthcare, consultants will look forward to seeing these positive statements of allowing clinicians to truly lead and drive change, in partnership with their patients, being turned into reality. For too long, finance has been the sole driver, this review must establish quality, patient care as our main goal.

"In this way, unshackled from political interference, we can deliver the personalised, safe, evidenced-based service our patients deserve. We must embed this ethos, and the training and research that backs it, at the heart of the NHS.

"We also agree that in the run up to its 60th anniversary we should secure the founding principles of the NHS and ensure that staff, patients and the public are fully engaged in playing their part in making the NHS the world class health service our country needs."

http://www.bma.org.uk