GPs And Hospital Consultants Need To Work Closer Together For The Greater Good Of The NHS - Says BMA Cymru, Wales

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 15 Feb 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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A leading consultant thinks GPs and senior hospital doctors need to start developing closer working relationships to benefit patients and the NHS as a whole.

Speaking exclusively on BMA Cymru's YouTube channel, BMACymru TV, Mr Jonathan Osborne, a member of the Welsh Consultants Committee, and Vice Chairman of BMA's Welsh Council says "The system of patient referrals by GPs has been hijacked by management, to the extent that some practitioners don't even know who their local hospital consultants are any more.

"It's a situation that's been allowed to develop because of a conflict between managerialism and professionals, which is serving only to benefit health service statistics at the moment. We need to redesign the process of GP referrals, with some patients being managed in a community setting, where possible."

GPs, consultants and representatives from Royal Colleges in Wales have produced a series of proposals they hope the Welsh Assembly Government will adopt, to improve the current system. As well as re-building and strengthening the relationship between GPs and consultants, other proposals include making use of secure, electronic referrals, the re-introduction of consultant secretaries, agreed referral protocols, and cutting down on emergency admissions by restoring the link between the GP and on call senior doctors.

For more on this and to view Mr Osborne speaking on this issue, visit http://uk.youtube.com/user/bmacymrutv.

British Medical Association

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