A NEW deal struck by GPs in England could make it easier for patients to be seen and end the 8am scramble for appointments, the government has said.
The contract amendments – agreed between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government on Thursday – give an extra £889m a year to general practices and could see patients able to book more appointments online.
The new deal aims to free up more of doctor’s time to see patients and extend access to online booking[/caption]
People may also be able to to request to see their usual doctor.
The funding boost will cover growing costs such as staff wages, repairs to buildings, and an increasing number of patients.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the new contract would “free up doctors from red tape and box-ticking targets”, allowing them to focus on treating patients.
Announcing the agreement, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said that “rebuilding the broken NHS” began with GPs and that patients should be able to book appointments easily, in the way they want and with their regular doctor if they wish.
The deal requires GP surgeries to allow patients to request appointments online from October this year, to free up phone lines for urgent inquiries and help end the 8am rush to nab appointments over the phone.
Meanwhile, targets requiring practices to report on staff wellbeing meetings and staff access to IT systems have been scrapped so that doctors can spend more time treating patients.
GPs will also be encouraged to spot patients who would benefit most from seeing the same doctor at every appointment.
Mr Streeting said: “Today, we have taken the first step to fixing the front door to the NHS, bringing back the family doctor, and ending the 8am scramble.
“Over the past decade, funding for GPs has been cut relative to the rest of the NHS, while the number of targets for GPs has soared. That’s why patients are struggling to get an appointment.
“This government is cutting the red tape that ties up GPs’ time and backing them with an extra £889 million next year.
“In return, more patients will be able to request appointments online and see their regular doctor for each appointment.”
The deal is the first time in four years the Government and GP representatives have agreed reforms to GP contracts, and marked a “reset of relations” after recent strikes, according to the DHSC.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England national director for primary care and community services, said: “This is the first time in four years that the GP contract has been accepted as proposed and I hope it will be seen as positive for practices, GP teams and patients when introduced in April.
The BMA’s GP Committee for England chairwoman Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer said previous governments had “driven general practice to desperation with patients bearing the brunt of years of chronic underfunding”, but the changes “mark a turning point”.
She said: “The green shoots of recovery will be seen when we start to see a fall in the numbers of practices being forced to close – closures that leave patients waiting far too long to see their GP.”
“However, the Government must now recognise the imperative to deliver a new contract within the current Parliament for meaningful reform and vital investment.
“Only then can we keep the front door of our NHS open, provide timely patient care, and alleviate pressure across our entire health service.”
The changes will help to “ease pressures” on other parts of the NHS, including A&E, the Department of Health said, and form part of the government’s Plan for Change for wider healthcare reform.
Dr Zoe Williams’ tips for anyone struggling to get a GP appointment
One of the most common frustrations I see from Sun readers is being unable to get a GP appointment.
I’ve heard of people on hold for almost an hour, only to be cut off – so I do understand it can make you feel like giving up.
But, there are things everyone can do to get the right help as fast as possible.
First, if you can, submit an online appointment form or request for prescription via your GP surgery’s website to save you waiting on the phone.
Secondly, it might be that there are other medical professionals who could help you – a physician associate, nurse or physio for example – and see you before a GP.
NHS 111 can provide self-care advice, help connect you with an emergency GP, dentist or direct you to urgent treatment centres, minor injury units for sprains, broken limbs, burns or bites, or sexual health clinics.
And now, all pharmacies – whether it’s Boots, supermarket or local independent chemist – offer the Pharmacy First service.
Even if your symptoms seem minor or an inconvenience, any that persist for more than two to three weeks that are unusual and out of the ordinary for you, should always be checked.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Streeting described the new deal as a “breakthrough moment”.
Asked how he was going to fix the 8am rush for appointments, Mr Streeting said: “It’s a big challenge, as with most things in the NHS, but the fact that we’ve just agreed a deal with GPs on their contract […] is bringing an end to that dispute GPs have had with government, an end to collective action.
“This is a breakthrough moment that’s going to deliver real results for patients”, he went on, adding that the “reform” driven by the new contract “will deliver online access appointment booking for patients up and down the country to bring the NHS into the 21st century, along with all the other services we have at our fingertips at the touch of a button”.
He said he promised in July to put 1,000 more GPs on to the front line by the end of March and now by the end of February there are “well over 900”.
However, Mr Streeting told LBC there will still be “challenges” in terms of the number of GPs and appointments available.
He said: “There’s still going to be challenges in terms of the number of GPs and the number of appointments that are available versus the number of people seeking demand.
“But I think people should start to see and feel that improvement over the course of this year.
“And we want to go from strength to strength year on year.”
Elsewhere, Mr Streeting told BBC Breakfast the contract means more patients will be able to see the same family doctor.
He said: “For GPs, it’s cutting through a lot of the bureaucracy and red tape that ties them up.
“We’ve almost halved the number of targets and measures that they’re accountable to deliver – that frees up more of their time to do what they enjoy most and patients appreciate most, which is seeing patients, treating patients.
“And we’re incentivising them to bring back the family doctor relationship so that, especially for people with ongoing health conditions or multiple health conditions, instead of seeing a different GP every time, having to explain yourself over and over again, people will be able to see the same GP, and that will make a real difference.
“So there’s lots of grounds for optimism.”
