18 June 2014
Dear Colleague
Our worst fears about GP recruitment were confirmed last week when leaked HEE (Health Education England) figures revealed 451 unfilled GP trainee posts nationwide, with serious shortages in certain regions. In the East Midlands, for example, a staggering 38 per cent of posts are unoccupied, while 20-30 per cent are vacant in large parts of the North. The GPs committee has been instrumental in bringing this to the attention of the media - for example, in the Observer last weekend.
These figures fly in the face of government pronouncements about increasing the proportion of young doctors choosing general practice to 50 per cent, and is well short of its target even to sustain general practice. The government ignores this at its peril since this workforce crisis will exacerbate appointment delays for patients and make moving care into the community an impossibility, increasing pressure on hospitals.
We will continue to raise awareness about this issue, but more importantly we are lobbying for action in face-to-face meetings with HEE and ministers. We have been clear that only by making the job of being a GP more manageable, attractive and rewarding will recruitment improve.
Have you been denied funding for older people?
A year after CCGs (clinical commissioning groups) came into effect, we asked you to tell us how you think they are working. Thanks to all who responded - we will publish the findings in full shortly.
One of the most concerning findings is that only 30 per cent of GPs report being offered the additional £5 per head funding specified by NHS England to support practices in improving care for older patients in England.
The survey also highlighted GPs' desire for more staff to support practices in caring for older people. More than 70 per cent of respondents stated that if offered the funding, they would spend it on community nursing or more practice nursing time, followed by dedicated appointments and home visits for older people by GPs.
This £5 per head of population broadly works out at £50 for patients aged 75 and over. It is a vital resource for practices that complements the unplanned admissions enhanced service, without which GPs will not be able to offer older frail patients the proactive care they deserve.
While we are pleased that a significant number of CCGs have made this resource available, we urge you to contact your local medical committee and CCG urgently if you have not received it.
I would also like to remind practices that the deadline for signing up to the unplanned admissions enhanced service is the end of June. We have produced a step-by-step guide to help you minimise the administration involved, complete with practical examples of how to meet the requirements and optional templates for reporting purposes, which should minimise bureaucracy.
Your GP cares: campaign materials coming your way
This week, practices across the UK will begin receiving campaign materials through the post to support the Your GP cares campaign, so please look out for these. The success of this campaign depends on your support and we hope these materials will help bring the campaign to life in your practice. The pack includes posters, stickers and leaflets to display in your surgeries. Additional posters can be downloaded from our website and the Your GP cares film can also be downloaded to show in your waiting rooms.
We have formally launched the campaign via an early day motion in parliament, which has gained cross-party support, and we are also holding a general practice event in Westminster on 1 July, which will be attended by health minister Earl Howe. There we will discuss the pressures on general practice and the solutions to this crisis.
Premises survey: have you the space to care?
There has already been a phenomenal response to the GP premises survey we sent out last week, highlighting the strength of feeling about this issue. If you have yet to take part, I urge you to do so. The survey only takes a couple of minutes to complete and just one response per practice is requested. Please also let us know when completing the survey if you would be willing for your practice to be used as a case study in our campaign.
Coming up: ARM 2014
Next week, I will be attending the BMA's annual representative meeting in Harrogate, which will feature debates on issues central to our campaign, including workload, recruitment and retention.
You can keep up-to-date with all the news from the ARM and I hope to see some of you there.
With best wishes,
DrChaandNagpaul
BMA GPs committee chair
For all the latest information, please visit bma.org/gpc