General Practice 'The Backbone' Of The New NHS Says The Royal College Of General Practitioners

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 31 Jan 2006 - 21:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

GPs are the backbone of the future patient-led NHS.

That is the message from the Royal College of General Practitioners following the launch of today's Government White Paper, Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services.

The RCGP says support should be provided for GPs in their surgeries to be the drivers of reforms to 'reshape' the NHS into a more patient centred, and primary care focussed system.

RCGP Chairman, Dr Mayur Lakhani, said: "We welcome the White Paper as a major step forward in strengthening primary care, with general practice as the backbone of the NHS. It is good news for patients and GPs, giving them a greater say in improving standards and local services."

But the College feels that delivering the White Paper presents a formidable challenge for primary care trusts.

Dr Mayur Lakhani added: "Winning the hearts and minds of doctors and nurses is the key to making this White Paper happen. Every effort must now be made by the NHS to engage front-line clinicians - something that has not happened with great success to date. That is the key to achieving much needed stability in the NHS. A real challenge exists for the Department to create effective new PCTs who will be charged with implementing the ambitious White Paper proposals. PCTs must 'let go' and allow GPs to run flourishing improvement schemes through Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) schemes."

The College particularly welcomes the emphasis in the White Paper on targeting health inequalities as well as the proposals for promoting health and well-being, including mental health, self care and prevention and primary care development.

Dr Lakhani said: "All sections of our society deserve high quality comprehensive care. The best way to achieve this is to build on the strengths of general practice'

In respect of 'new entrants' providing general practice, the College regards it as essential that:

-- a 'level playing field' is maintained;

well qualified doctors, with the MRCGP qualification, are used to ensure the highest standards of patient care;

there is consistency in the criteria used to monitor quality of care for all providers; and

education and training of the future workforce is not jeopardised.

Dr Lakhani said: "We understand the genuine concern surrounding surgery appointments systems and opening hours and agree that more needs to be done. The patient-doctor relationship is unique and must be preserved. It could be put at risk by developments such as supermarket GPs that could fragment care. Instead, PCTs should support local GPs and nurses to devise schemes to improve access."

Dr Lakhani added: "New ways of providing general practice must not allow 'cherry-picking' profitable aspects of care that could disadvantage frail older people with multiple conditions (co-morbidity). GPs offer a safety net and do not 'discharge' patients."

The College welcomes proposals in the White Paper to improve co-ordination and integration of care and the management of long term conditions. The White Paper also acknowledges the vital role that general practice plays in the NHS.

Dr Lakhani said: "GPs are the 'glue' that holds the NHS together. Our own public consultation told us that patients want their local general practice to succeed and be at the centre and source of NHS improvements."

In respect of the NHS lifestyle check, the College recognises the value of prevention and promoting healthy living to deal with real problems like obesity but warns that developments must be based on the best available evidence, piloted and evaluated for clinical and cost effectiveness. It recommends that this proposal be discussed with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The College also welcomes moves to bring many of the services currently provided by hospitals into the community - provided this is done in a supported and structured way making the best use of doctors, both specialists and generalists, working to defined standards and care pathways. Royal Colleges will have an important role in developing these tools as the White Paper acknowledges. The development of new community facilities and 'co-location' of services is also welcomed

The RCGP particularly welcomes the emphasis on the monitoring of quality in primary care. It would like to see the introduction of a system of kite-marking of all providers, including new entrants, using its Quality Team Development (QTD) scheme, mentioned specifically in the White Paper.

Dr Lakhani said: "There is a continuing need for quality and safety in the NHS, particularly as it becomes more complex with many different providers."

The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the "voice" of GPs on issues concerned with education; training; research; and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over 23,000 members who are committed to improving patient care, developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline.

Promoting excellence in family medicine http://www.rcgp.org.uk

• Additional
• References
• Citations