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| big_D wrote: There there is always an emergency doctor on call at the weekend. | |
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And we have the same here. There are doctors who cover out-of-hours - they cover telephone calls, home visits and see patients at primary care centres.
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| jonbwfc wrote: The problem is the endemic idea in current UK society that we are all 'customers' and therefore have a right to whatever we want, when we want it. Rather than seeing GPs as a communal resource we all use as necessary, there seems to be a view that 'I'm paying for it so it has to dance to my tune and sod everyone else'. | |
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Completely agree and see this often. There's this "me, me, me". On the one hand, a patient will lambast GPs as nobodies who just hand out antibiotics. Yet that same person will complain that the GP didn't give them an antibiotic for their cold.
I've had a bit more of a read in the Guardian newspaper:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... ry-cameron
So pulling it apart.
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| Quote: Access to a GP seven days a week by 2020 would be guaranteed under a Tory government, David Cameron will announce on Tuesday, backing the measure with a £100m fund. | |
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I've already stated above that this is far inadequate. It won't even cover costs of hiring staff (like receptionists, healthcare assistants and nurses).
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| Quote: Labour has made a separate commitment to guarantee GP access within 48 hours | |
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This could easily be done but means you can't then prebook an appointment. I know some surgeries that just have open surgeries. You turn up and queue and will be seen. You might have to wait all day. The main reason for having an appointment system is so that you minimise time wasted by waiting.
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| Quote: The prime minister’s announcement is designed to give a clear commitment that all NHS patients would be able to see their GP between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week | |
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In practice this would mean having to have staff (and not just doctors) in the building before 8am until after 8pm. In a large practice, this might be feasible. In a small practice like mine, it won't be possible.
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| Quote: He will also promise that every patient will have a named GP responsible for their care outside hospital | |
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Before the new contract, every GP was responsible for a list of patients (approx 2000). So you would see only those patients. Then the Govt came along and tried to break the link between a GP and a patient. Suddenly, all patients were registered with a practice, but not with a GP. Now we're suddenly back to having a named GP.
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| Quote: Focus groups repeatedly indicate that a named GP and weekend access to GPs is one of the most popular demands for patient care outside hospital | |
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I've pointed this out before but the highest users are kids and the elderly. Neither really needs specific weekend access unless for emergencies. At which point the out of hours system exists.
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| Quote: This is only possible because we have taken difficult decisions to reduce inefficient and ineffective spending elsewhere as part of our long-term economic plan | |
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Waffle and means nothing.
NHS expenditure in primary care has been dropping year on year. It used to be 11% of the NHS budget. Now it's 8%. So with less money, GPs are having to do more, work longer and harder. Secondary care are dumping lots of patients back to primary care for two reasons: to reduce their own workload, and to maximise income through new referrals. Case in point - I saw a 10 year old girl yesterday. She was under the care of orthotics at hospital. She sees them regularly for her foot problems. They've now discharged her and want a new referral. Why? Because they'll get more money for seeing a new referral than seeing a follow up.
Even if GPs worked longer, what about the rest of the system? Not much point in seeing patients if i can't then take their bloods, send them for investigations or refer to social services if the rest of the system is still running "9-5". The entire NHS was built on the premise that patients get 24/7 emergency care and 9-5 Mon-Fri routine care. If you truly want 24/7 routine care, you have to rebuild the system from the ground up. You need to pump billions in to build new surgeries, hospitals, rehab places, staff, social services etc. The whole thing would need to be revamped.
