As the country experiences a long awaited cold snap, our NHS faces its yearly bout of winter pressures, this time amidst the ongoing talks regarding junior doctors’ contracts. Whilst these talks continue to dominate the headlines, the public dispute has side-lined other issues including the increasing challenge to deliver much needed GP services up and down the country.
It is estimated that each week across the UK, GPs treat up to one million patients and in doing so, help to prevent non-emergency patients attending hospitals. However, new statistics published this week in the EADT, from the Royal College of Practitioners and NHS England, have revealed that we still need around 21% more doctors in practices across East Anglia by 2020 to meet growing demand. Yet it is this very demand which is a major factor in deterring doctors whether at the start or end of their career, from primary care.
I have written before about the challenges of GP shortages in Suffolk and with the backdrop of a former health campaigner, I regularly meet with and talk to clinicians and health professionals about the challenges to deliver ever improving treatments and joined up care across the system. It can sometimes feel as though our ‘crises’ prone health service is doomed to fail. But having twice survived cancer with the help of NHS doctors and nurses, I am only ever optimistic about the long term prognosis for our own health service.
Recently, I visited Suffolk GP+, a pilot NHS service providing out-of-hours GP services within my Bury St Edmunds constituency. The scheme was staffed by 75 GPs and 24 nurse practitioners who work two or three extra shifts to provide a convenient service. Also piloted in Ipswich, the scheme has already had 2,500 appointments booked and had deterred 27% of patients from attending hospital. The electronic feedback system installed to refine the project also recorded a 99% satisfaction rating.
Although only a pilot scheme, GP+ is delivering a patient lead, accessible service which has the potential to significantly reduce the burden on hospitals. Yet this should not be at the expense of GPs working additional hours. Were this scheme to be introduced country-wide, it has the potential to balance the demand on GP practices, if out-of-hours services became more accessible.
There is also an argument in returning control to patients and doctors; for instance Stowhealth surgery in Stowmarket has developed systems to allow patients to monitor their blood pressure themselves, often without the initial need for an appointment. Taking this idea further, enabling patients to access and share their medical history through a database with their doctor, may help deliver a patient centred service and allow clinicians to get back to treating people.
Rediscovering the virtue of primary care for doctors and patients is not about removing the clinician or increasing their workload. It is about handing back treatment and an improved service to our doctors and patients. Now that is a long term care plan I think we can all support.
published in EADT