General practice needs long-term rescue plan

  Urgent action is needed on a long-term rescue plan for general practice, further to a GP contract deal for England. As a result of annual negotiations between the BMA GPs committee and NHS Employers, a £220m investment for 2016-17 will take into account rising GP practice expenses and is designed to result in a pay uplift of 1 per cent for GPs following years of decline. The GP contract announcement will mean no changes to QOF (quality and outcomes framework) thresholds or the number of points available for 2016-17, minimising unnecessary disruption for practices with a commitment to explore, among other possibilities, ending QOF altogether. GPC chair Chaand Nagpaul, pictured, said limited annual contractual changes would not solve the workforce crisis or strain on general practice but that active discussions were taking place with NHS England on the wider measures needed. The GPC’s urgent prescription for general practice campaign is highlighting the pressures on the service and the solutions needed.   Funding boost Dr Nagpaul said: ‘The GPC was clear from the outset that these annual variations to the contract could not resuscitate general practice from the brink of collapse following years of underfunding, rising patient demand, staff shortages and unresourced work being moved from hospitals into the community. He added: 'These limited changes provide some immediate financial support, which for the first time in years recognises the expense...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news