A radical transformation of GP services in London will see an end to disjointed care, healthcare leaders claim.
General Practice – A Call to Action, aims to transform services in London so that they are more convenient, coordinated and holistic.
NHS England will begin the most wide-ranging conversation with Londoners and GPs about the future of general practice in the capital and how to transform care so it is fit for the 21st Century and the rapidly changing dynamics of London.
The capital faces many challenges, including a sharply increasing population with stark health inequalities and lower patient satisfaction with GP services than the rest of the country.
Dr Anne Rainsberry, regional director for NHS England (London), said: “London’s GPs say they are struggling against unprecedented challenges.
“We’ve listened to London’s GPs and London’s patients and the verdict is unanimous: doing nothing is not an option. This is not about creating a ‘one size fits all’ approach to general practice. It is up to patients and GPs to determine how they will meet the changing needs of London communities.”
Dr Clare Gerada, former chair of the Royal College of GPs and the newly appointed clinical chair of Primary Care Transformation in London, said: “It’s clear that we need to change the way we work. Transformation needs to be radical and long-term – tweaking around the edges won’t cut it this time. We need to build strong networks between practices so we can offer more convenient and holistic care, when finances are tighter than ever.
“I look forward to working with my fellow GPs and patients on how we can build a world-class service that will sustain us for the next 50 years.”
In the New Year, NHS England will work with clinicians and patients to create a set of proposals describing the service offer that all practices would like to provide and that all Londoners should have access to. The service offer will focus on three aspects of care: accessible care, proactive care and coordinated care. GPs will then work towards these standards over the next 5 years, leading to a benchmark for the quality of care and services Londoners should expect from their GP services.
This transformation programme will also help support GPs to meet the new GP contract, which is a positive and immediate shift in the way GPs operate to improve services.
