London general: 70 years of improving life in the Capital

NHS general practice is celebrating its 70th birthday, which is a major milestone in the history of British medicine. The availability of general practice to Londoners (8m of us in 1948, 9m now, but as few as 6.5m in the 1990s) has been the bedrock of the NHS since its founding, providing cradle-to-grave care to all families, including those in the most deprived communities.
 
With 90% of NHS contacts taking place in general practice, GPs and practice teams are the face of the NHS throughout the Capital. Recently the Government announced a £20bn investment in the NHS, but from past experience little of this will reach the frontline of general practice. It is likely to be, as with much of our history, the hard work and dedication of the whole team working inside each GP surgery that delivers the next 70 years’ of success. So, on this significant birthday I would like to reflect on what general practice has achieved.
 
Universal coverage
 
Thanks to the development of NHS general practice, more and more people are now in regular contact with their GP:
 
Eradicating disease
 
Before the NHS many people were dying from preventable ailments such as diphtheria or tetanus. Today the children have access to universal vaccination programmes, delivered by general practice:
 
Longer lives
 
Average lifespans have grown substantially since 1948, with the work of general practice meaning far more people are living decades beyond retirement age:
A diverse workforce
 
Over the past 70 years, the NHS has transformed into being among the most diverse workforces in the world, currently a quarter of NHS staff working in London are from outside the UK and general practice draws its talent from across the globe:
The enduring role of the family doctor
 
These achievements are impressive and a testament to the way general practice has developed with the NHS, but the values of general practice have rightly remained the same. A report from 1948, titled Public Health in 1948: Remarkable Statistics: the first months of the National Health Service paints a picture that GPs and practice teams would recognise today, although now we do have equal numbers of “his” and “hers”:
 
“The success of the family doctor service depends primarily on the family doctor's relationship with his patients and that is not changed merely by an alteration in the method of payment for service. The administration required is far less than in the other branches. The service has been extremely popular with the public and it seems that despite the size of the undertaking and despite the uneven distribution of load which follows from the present distribution of doctors, the family doctors carried it successfully through its first year.”
 
The clinical team is made up of GPs, nurses, advanced practitioners, healthcare assistants and numerous new roles delivers so much more than the sum of its parts. Triaging, advice on self-care, diabetes management and many other tasks have been passed from GPs to skilled colleagues. The support they received from practice managers, administrators and reception staff enables the clinical team to take on these wider roles and helps to relieve much of the bureaucratic load which the powers-that-be choose to impose.
Last updated : 05 Jul 2018

 

Latest LMC workforce survey - please complete our short survey by Friday 17 December 2021 (25 Nov 2021)

We have extended the closing date of our workforce survey to 17:00 on Friday 17 December, in recognition of the substantial time pressures on practices. Please do still take 10...
Read more »

Help us respond to the Health and Social Care Select Committee enquiry into ‘The Future of General Practice’ (25 Nov 2021)

We will be responding to this new inquiry as on behalf of London general practice and would welcome your views. We will highlight London GP teams’ commitment to patient access,...
Read more »

New Integrated Care Board CEOs (23 Nov 2021)

The five chief executive roles for London’s Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) have been appointed. They are: North West London: Rob Hurd, current North Central London ICS Joint Executive lead. North...
Read more »

Update: GP earnings declarations delayed until at least next Spring (22 Nov 2021)

Last week we were informed by the General Practitioners Committee England (GPC England) of the BMA that they had further discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)...
Read more »

Londonwide LMCs' Buying Group - flu vaccine offer (03 Nov 2021)

The Londonwide LMCs’ Buying Group offers discounted rates on flu vaccines via our buying group supplier MidMeds. Member practices should call Mylan (0800 358 7468), or Seqirus (08457 451 500),...
Read more »

Covid-19 guidance update – October 2021 (20 Oct 2021)

This page collates new guidance and existing guidance that has been updated since our last newsletter on 22 September. Covid-19 vaccination programme Covid-19 vaccination deployment next steps for...
Read more »

Tips of the Month October 2021 (20 Oct 2021)

We provide monthly 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...
Read more »
Next Page »
« Previous Page