EXTENDED
HOURS AND THE FUTURE OF GENERAL PRACTICE
The
government recently spent £11 million on a survey to assess
patient satisfaction with the NHS. This survey found that 84% or
17 out of every 20 patients were happy with the opening hours of
their local GP practice. Despite this, the government has chosen
to ignore the great majority of patients and force GPs to offer
longer opening hours.
This
means early mornings, late evenings and at least Saturday mornings.
There will be no new money to cover these extra surgeries. Instead,
money (an estimated £63 million) currently used to improve
chronic disease management and
surveillance will be redirected to pay for doctors, nurses and receptionists
to staff the surgeries at these times. Will there be new doctors,
nurses, receptionists to cover all these new hours? No. The doctor
you might see at 8 o'clock in the evening may have started seeing
patients at 8 o'clock in the morning. How's your decision making
after 12 hours of work?
Is
the government negotiating? Yes. They are offering a Hobson's choice.
GPs can accept the changes or if they fail to do so, the government
will tear up their contracts and the GPs can have the changes imposed
upon them. That contract, agreed in 2004, set targets for improved
care of a wide range of health problems such as high blood pressure,
prevention of heart attacks and strokes, care of diabetes, vaccinations
and many other accepted public health goals. GP practices worked
very hard to meet these targets and now the government wants to
move these goals to make changes that few of you think are important.
This
is part of a wider scheme to change health care provision nationally,
offering your health as a ‘market' to profit-making companies. Our
concern is that the change to an emphasis on profit as against patient
care will lead to a deterioration in care.
Further,
GPs around the country feel that extended opening hours will lead
to more than just deterioration in patient services. Here at Appletree
Medical Practice we are very concerned both for our patients and
for the welfare of our fellow staff. We strive to offer a clinically
excellent and safe service. We do not feel that extended opening
hours will improve either of those aims. We feel the government's
bullying tactics are the thin end of the wedge.
If
you are happy for elected politicians to make decisions about your
family's health then ignore this letter. If you are unhappy with
that and would rather support your local GP surgery then voice your
concern. Write to your MP or to the Prime Minister directly or the
Health Minister. Sign the online petition on the Downing Street
website www.number10.gov.uk
(search for ‘extended opening hours') . Voice your opinion
about the future of your health service.
MP
for Duffield
Patrick
McLoughlin, House of Commons, London , SW1A 0AA
e-mail:
mcloughlinpaparliament.uk
MP
for Little Eaton
Judy
Mallaber, House of Commons, London , SW1A 0AA
e-mail:
j.mallaber@btinternet.com
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