TORY leader Cameron is today unveiling measures to force GPs to open from 8.00 to 8.00pm and on Saturdays and Sundays.
The hours change is part of a pilot scheme which the coalition government claims will allow patients to book more ‘convenient’ appointments after office hours and at weekends.
The £50 million scheme includes using technology such as video conferencing and email to stop patients seeing their doctor or attending A&E’s. Under these ‘reforms’, Cameron expects pensioners equipped with iPads to tell doctors in surgeries what is wrong with them.
Dr Nagpaul, Chair of the BMA’s General Practice Committee, said: ‘These pilots will give some GPs the opportunity and resources to test ways of improving access, use of technology and extend their opening times in areas where it is felt there is demand from local patients.
‘However, as pilots, it is important that these are independently evaluated to ensure they are a responsible use of stretched NHS funds. Outside of those signed up to the pilot, there will still be close to 7,000 GP practices across the country who will not be receiving extra support to improve patient access or maintain current services.
‘General practice is currently under intense pressure from a combination of escalating patient demand and falling resources. In a recent BMA GP survey, almost all respondents reported they were struggling with heavy or unmanageable workloads and six out of ten said they were considering retiring early because of the pressure they were under.’
Anna Athow, BMA member, told News Line: ‘GPs currently work 48 to 60 hours a week. GPs workload has drastically increased over the last five years, yet funding has been reduced, that is why patients often have to wait for appointments.
‘There is a national shortage of GPs and many GPs are retiring early because of “burn out”. The BMA should see this “reform” for what it is, another step toward herding GPs into 24-7 commercial-federated GP networks, formally called polyclinics, with GPs as private employees on new contracts.
‘The other aim is to kid the public that they can manage without their District General Hospitals. The BMA should be demanding full, proper restoration of funding for all the current GP practices so that patients can be seen promptly and given more time.
‘Health minister Norman Lamb suggests that ten-minute face-to-face consultations are too short and concludes that, therefore, they should be abolished in favour of electronic contact. The real agenda behind the scheme is the government’s aim to push GPs in to federations as a stepping stone to commercial polyclinics with salaried GPs.
‘The aim is to fundamentally shift care away from hospitals to people’s homes where they can be helped by electronic contact to manage their own condition.’
