GPs have said general practice could be the answer to many of the current issues facing the NHS.
Cutting MPIG funding and under-investment into general practice means that surgeries are unable to provide the high-level of care to their patients, despite increasing number of vulnerable patients, GPs claimed at the Local Medical Committee conference.
Chair of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP committee, Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “GPs are constantly fire-fighting to provide the services their patients need in the face of increasing workload pressures, the worsening state of GP premises and the rising number of vulnerable patients and those living with a chronic condition for whom the standard 10 minute appointment is simply not enough.
“We are also now increasingly providing services that had previously been delivered in hospitals”.
The BMA recently launched the“Your GP cares” campaign, which outlines the need to increase long-term investment into GP services and to:
– Expand the overall number of GPs.
– Expand numbers of other practice staff.
– Improve and bring premises up to scratch.
GP surgeries are becoming more heavily relied upon since the restructuring of the NHS and it is now apparent more so than ever that investment is vital maintain a standard of services, the BMA has said.
Dr Nagpaul said: “General practice can be a key solution to managing the increasing pressure on the health services, but only if it receives the long-term, sustainable investment in the things that will make a real difference to patients – more GPs, more practice staff and fit for purpose premises.”
