Feedback sought on GP Partnership Review interim findings
The GP Partnership Review is being conducted for the Department of Health and Social Care by Dr Nigel Watson of Wessex LMCs, with the aim of producing a set of recommendations on how to reinvigorate the partnership model.
We have previously met with the review team and facilitated visits to London practices, we will be meeting them again on Monday 3 December. If you are interested in feeding back on the interim report or coming to our offices in Euston for our round-table meeting then please email info@lmc.org.uk. The round-table will run from 18:30 - 20:30, if you are interested in attending please include a summary of the points you would like to discuss in your email.
Nigel and his team have produced an interim report, which is summarised below. The full Interim Report can be viewed here and a partnership myth-buster document produced for GP trainees is also available.
- Workload is a major factor in the current problems with recruitment and retention.
- The current workforce is inadequate to deliver the care that is needed.
- The risks of being a partner outweigh the benefits and the reasons for this are premises, the cost of medical indemnity and unlimited liability held by partners.
- There is uncertainty about the future of general practice which contributes to the recruitment and retention issues.
- General practice reports that it is adversely affected by under-provision of community nursing services, and community mental health services, which has an
- impact on workload. These services are less integrated with general practice than they were a generation ago, leading to inefficiencies and fragmented care.
- The resources that are invested in general practice or primary care, all too often are not seen to support the frontline delivery of care and are bundled up in small packages which are often seen as too difficult to bid for. The bidding process is overly-burdensome and the delivery is so tied up with bureaucracy it is deemed to be not worth it.
Identified advantages of partnership
- Freedom to innovate
- Ability to implement change at pace
- Relative autonomy in decisions relating to patient care (or the ability to act relatively independently as a powerful advocate for patients)
- Being part of a community and being accountable and responsible to that community
- Desire to succeed as a business owners
- Value for money
Workload
Address the workforce issues. With a larger and more diversified workforce, we could start to turn the tide. There needs to be an increased focus on preventing disease, investment in prevention of complications of existing long-term conditions (for example, from diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and more self-care and self-management, with the use of technology to support patients.
Workforce
Increase GP numbers by making general practice a better place to work, making partnership more attractive than being a locum, expanding the multi-professional team working with and supporting GPs. Also embedding existing community staff within general practice and creating the opportunities for working as a single team. Creating primary care networks that will support practices, and use more of the existing resources to deliver frontline care, will support the workforce.
Risk
Address the risk of lease holding and property ownership, introducing a comprehensive state backed indemnity scheme and addressing the issue of unlimited liability.
Status
GPs need to feel valued by more than just their patients - by politicians and the wider NHS. The GMC needs to recognise general practice as a speciality and legislation is required to deliver this. Medical students need to spend more time in general practice, and placements need to be funded at the same rate as hospital placements. There should be more placements created in the community for GPs in training, ensure more hospital trainees spend time in general practice, and that all foundation trainees have a period of their training in general practice.
System leadership
General practice must be part of any system's senior leadership voice. To continue to ignore this will mean existing barriers continue, and the hope of ending the fragmentation and organisational barriers will not be realised.
Last updated : 17 Oct 2018GP Contract changes – Coronavirus provisions extended (21 Oct 2020)
At the end of September NHS England wrote to practices and commissioners reminding them of the 2020-21 GP Contract changes and announcing announced the extension of some temporary measures introduced...GMC publish new consent guidance (21 Oct 2020)
The GMC have updated their guidance in relation to consent – the guidance comes into effect on 9 November 2020 and can be accessed at the link below: Guidance...Health Select Committee pandemic report (21 Oct 2020)
Amongst other things,Parliament’s Health and Social Care Select Committee called for improvements in referral handling at the primary/secondary care interface, better staff testing (including for GPs and staff) and quoted...Tips of the Month October 2020 (21 Oct 2020)
We provide weekly tips based on common queries which come through to us from London GPs and practice teams. These are shared via social media and collated for...Londonwide LMCs' October 2020 Newsletter (21 Oct 2020)
...NHS 111 First roll-out (21 Oct 2020)
By 1 December NHS 111 will be able to book appointments at emergency departments (EDs) within all London hospitals. This will coincide with a campaign encouraging patients to contact NHS...Calling all general practice managers, business managers, HR managers, finance managers, operational managers, managing partners and site managers (24 Sep 2020)
As part of our Practice Manager Development project, we are able to offer you an opportunity to take-up a fully...Appraisal resumes and GMC to consider Coronavirus impact during investigations (23 Sep 2020)
NHS England has instructed GPs to resume the appraisal process from 1 October, although this will be in a form which is intended to reduce the amount of paperwork involved,...Coronavirus protection for London general practice (23 Sep 2020)
As the only truly independent voice for London general practice, Londonwide LMCs continues to provide constructive challenge on behalf of GPs, nurses and the whole team in each and every...Guidance
We provide expert guidance for practices in our guidance section, as well as an archive of other materials you may find useful.
GP Support
Contact our GP Support team if you need help or advice.
The team provide professional and pastoral support to GPs and practice teams on a broad range of issues.
follow us on...
