Future GP workforce plans for London
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan commissioned The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust to undertake an independent analysis of sustainability and transformation plans (STP) in London.
The full 98 page document is availableonline. The most relevant section for London GPs is the section on workforce reproduced below (P73 in the report).
What might this mean for the workforce?
For NHS providers, staff pay costs make up around 65 per cent of operating expenses. It is therefore inevitable that a substantial element of the £3.4 billion savings plans for London will be found through a reduction in expenditure on staff, at least when set against the ‘do-nothing’ scenario.
STPs are in the early stages of working out the impact their savings plans will have on the shape andsize of their future workforce.
Analysts working on STPs in London indicated to us that the figures cited in their planning documents were highly tentative and in places incomplete.
One London STP–North West London–did not provide us with any workforce estimates as the figuresit had provided NHS England in October were being corrected as this report was being drafted.
Across the four STPs that were able to include some early estimates, the reported impact of their combined savings plans was to reduce, in absolute terms, whole-term equivalent staffing numbers between 2016/17 and 2020/21 by 1.4 per cent, or slightly more than 2,000 staff.
This included 3,800 fewer registered nurses, midwives and health visitors (a reduction of 7 per cent against the 2016/17 level) and 600 fewer hospital doctors and dentists (a reduction of 3 per cent).
These reductions would be partially off-set by a projected one-third increase in GP and GP support staff (3,670 extra WTEs). Some STPs are likely to seek to manage these reductions in qualified clinical staff byincreasing thenumbers of trained health care support staff working in the community.
In other workforce news NHS England has announced it intends to recruit 600 overseas GPs by April
2018 in eleven areas including South East and North East London.
Last updated : 19 Sep 2017
GP surgery business rate refunds to be sent to NHS England (25 May 2016)
NHS England wrote to all practice in March following appeals that were lodged with the Valuation Office Agency regarding business rate refunds. Local Authorities are in the process of issuing...Health Service Journal Awards (25 May 2016)
The HSJ Awards represent an opportunity for practice teams and individuals to be recognised for the outstanding work they do. Categories include Compassionate Patient Care, Workforce and Clinical Leader of...Stand up for general practice in London (25 May 2016)
There are less than two weeks to stand for election to your Local Medical Committee. If you are a GP who would like to stand up for general practice in...Patient engagement work (25 May 2016)
Effective patient engagement can deliver benefits for both practices and patients in a number of ways. That is why Londonwide LMCs is increasing our work in this area. Improved outcomes...Patient Online May 2016 update (25 May 2016)
NHS England and Healthy London Partnership have asked us to thank you for your efforts to enable online services in London. Practices are now in a position to offer patients...2016/17 contract changes reminder (25 May 2016)
This page is a reminder the headline changes to the 2016/17 GP contract. A longer briefing was circulated in March before the contract came into effect, if you would like...Capita primary care support services (25 May 2016)
In response to concerns from GPs in London and across the country regarding problems with the new Primary Care Support Services outsourced to Capita, the Chair of the GPC...Outstanding Apprentice of the Year win (25 May 2016)
Stran-Jay Schloss (right), an apprentice working for Londonwide LMCs, has been voted Outstanding Apprentice of the Year by her peers on the apprenticeship programme. Stran-Jay has written about what winning...2016 LMC Conference - Dr Michelle Drage (25 May 2016)
Dr Michelle Drage shares her thoughts on the 2016 LMC Annual Conference, held on 20 May in London. Along with the rest of England, London’s general practices are now in a...May 2016 Newsletter now available (25 May 2016)
News and views from the professional voice of general practice in London ...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...
