GPs plan to debate 'unsafe' hours

  GPs are to debate outlawing ‘unsafe’ long hours to protect patient care amid a growing crisis in general practice. The BMA GPs committee is convening a special local medical committees conference to discuss ways to ease the pressure on the profession and ensure the long-term sustainability of general practice. The London conference on 30 January will discuss increasing appointment times to at least 15 minutes and abolish Care Quality Commission practice inspections in favour of a peer-led quality-assurance scheme. GPs will debate the possibility of the GPC requesting undated resignations from all GPs if a rescue package for general practice is not concluded in six months. GPC chair Chaand Nagpaul (pictured) said: ‘GPs' first priorities are their patients. They want to be able to provide enough time and appointments and ensure every member of the public who comes through their practice doors get safe, high-quality service. ‘The calling of this special conference is a reflection of the untenable situation where relentless workload pressures, soaring demand and funding cuts has meant that GPs are prevented from providing this high standard of care.’   'Free from bureaucracy' Dr Nagpaul said the aim of the conference was to establish clear solutions for the sustainability of general practice. He added: ‘General practice needs to be freed from the shackles of pointless bureaucracy and disproportionate regulatory scrutiny, which ...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news