Jeremy Hunt’s GP reforms face mixed reaction
Elliot Bidgood, 21 May 2013
Following on from recent coalition announcements on the Care Bill and integration, which I covered in last week’s post, it has today been reported that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt plans to announce new rules for general practice this Thursday. This will include a move away from ‘box-ticking culture’ and the creation of a new post of chief inspector for general practice based within the CQC and tasked with enforcing standards, similar to the one being introduced for hospitals under the Care Bill. He will also “call for all patients to have a named GP responsible for co-ordinating their care in- and out-of-hours.” The reforms are intended to ensure familiarity and consistency between patients and their doctors in out-of-hours care, which Hunt argues is currently lacking. This follows on from recent comments by Hunt about reviewing GP working hours under the 2004 GP contract and returning out-of-hours care to them.
Hunt will announce the new policy at The King’s Fund, though this will be on the same day the UK Local Medical Committee conference, where GP magazines have reported there is likely to be a rebellion against the government on the plans to return out-of-hours responsibilities to GPs. BMA GP Committee chair Dr Laurence Buckman has also criticised coalition policies on targets and GP commissioning for distracting GPs from their core duties in patient care. Other GPs have blamed the decision by the government to allow the contacting out of out-of-hours services. Hunt, however, believes that general practice must pull its weight if the current strain on A&E is to be relieved – A&E waiting times have been rising and it was reported today that A&E services are “getting closer and closer to the cliff edge” due to sheer demand, according to NHS Confederation head Mike Farrar. Farrar cited failures by GPs to make out-of-hours care a sufficient alternative as one of several problems that had caused the pressures, alongside problems with NHS 111 and ambulance services and the inadequacy of hospital and social care arrangements. Interestingly, Urgent Health UK, which represents social enterprises in the out-of-hours market, has highlighted social enterprises involving local GPs (which already make up 46% of out-of-hours services) as a potential compromise between the current situation and GPs having to resume full responsibility once again. Meanwhile, some CCGs are planning to increase competition in out-of-hours care, according to the Health Service Journal.
An upcoming Civitas report, After Francis: Standards & Care Quality in the NHS, will address the government’s current proposals on care standards and quality assurance, among other issues currently affecting the NHS.
For more of our work on health, including books and research papers, visit our website here.