The next 10 years will be defined as the “decade of primary care”, according to Health Secretary Andy Burnham.
He revealed in an interview with Pulse that the push of hospital services into primary care will continue for the next 10 years.
Mr Burnham said the financial challenges that lie ahead can only be met if more services were taken into GP settings.
GP leaders and health service workers rallied outside the BMA headquarters last week over plans to cut NHS services, and shift hospital workloads to primary care polysystems.
But Mr Burnham (pictured) insisted: “There is far more that can be done in the patient’s home and in general practice to cut unnecessary referrals to hospital. If we’re going into this coming period with no change to hospital services, that would take money out of primary care. My vision is the opposite.”
He also claimed the Conservative pledge to implement a suspension on hospital reconfiguration was not credible, saying: “A moratorium on hospital reconfiguration is not a sustainable position, and I think most GPs would probably acknowledge that.”
Copyright © Press Association 2010
