Barton Family Practice News – September 2024

The news from the Practice is about a national issue – GPs in England have voted overwhelmingly for collective action. They are not going on strike but are going to take actions intended to put pressure on the government to safeguard general practice. Practices in England are struggling to provide a safe and effective service for their patients. They lack an adequate workforce and are under considerable financial pressure, resulting in low morale and the closure of practices. GPs are asking the government to save general practice, the bedrock and foundation of our great NHS. We need more funds, many more well-trained GPs, better premises, less bureaucracy, and the freedom to decide the skill-mix that our local populations require. After years of pressing the case with various governments, GPs have finally reached the end of their tether. The situation is desperate. Without decisive action by the government, patients’ care will suffer further, and the health of the nation will worsen. More practices will fold, and general practice, as we know it will collapse, with repercussions for the rest of the NHS which will come under increased pressure. The collective action includes various administrative measures which will not be noticeable to patients. However, one of the proposed actions – practices restricting the number of patient contacts to the widely accepted safe limit of 25 a day, will result in more patients referred to 111 or A&E. Barton Family Practice GPs individually conduct over thirty consultations each day with other contacts in addition. Individual practices must decide for themselves which aspects of the collective action they wish to engage in. As a practice, we have decided that despite the safety concerns, we shall adopt only the administrative measures and continue providing the same number of daily contacts and consultations. There will not be any change to patient access, contacts, or consultations at Barton Family Practice. This is a difficult decision because we are struggling as a practice, but we believe this is in the best interest of our patients in the short-term. We need a long-term solution. Our patients deserve safe, effective, and sustainable general practice.