GPs: ‘no crisis’ claims are ‘wildly inaccurate’
Ministerial claims that there is no recruitment crisis in general practice in Wales have been labelled ‘wildly inaccurate’ and ‘demoralising’ by GPs.
GPs meeting at the Welsh local medical committees conference last weekend highlighted the daily pressures they face.
In her opening speech to the conference, BMA Cymru Wales GPs committee chair Charlotte Jones said she had highlighted two years ago how general practice needed a ‘full resuscitation package’ to revive it.
She told this year’s conference in Chester: ‘One year ago, we had some flickers of life on the GP inten...
Source: BMA News - March 3, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Doctors reject abolition of QOF
GPs in Wales have rejected calls to abandon care quality indicators.
The Welsh local medical committees conference last weekend turned down suggestions by some representatives to abolish the QOF (quality and outcomes framework).
GPs negotiators in England are to explore, among other possibilities, getting rid of the QOF altogether as part of their next annual contract talks.
Leading calls to abandon the QOF in Wales, north Wales GP Alison Hill said: ‘[The QOF] has taken the focus away from what matters to patients in a consultation. It has used up the time and energy of healthcare professionals — somethi...
Source: BMA News - March 3, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Seven-day services needs 'proper resourcing'
Improving patient care at weekends requires proper investment not contractual change, a conference heard.
The BMA consultants conference 2016 heard how a debate was needed about the necessary resources to meet the Government’s commitment for an expansion in seven-day services.
In a speech to the conference in London today, BMA consultants committee chair Keith Brent (pictured) said: ‘If you want to improve care at weekends, it’s not a question of contract change — that’s just a distraction — it’s a question of proper resourcing.
He added: ‘We need a proper discussion a...
Source: BMA News - March 3, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Hundreds of GPs gearing up to leave, finds survey
The crisis in general practice in England is set to worsen — 46 per cent of practices report they have GPs who are planning to retire or leave the NHS.
A BMA survey has found that practices are facing a toxic cocktail of soaring demand, problems with recruitment and retention and financial challenges.
The results are highlighted in a series of ‘heatmaps’ of parliamentary constituencies showing the worst-affected areas, launched as part of the BMA’s Urgent Prescription for General Practice campaign.
BMA GPs committee chair Chaand Nagpaul said: ‘GP practices are facing this dire situatio...
Source: BMA News - March 2, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Consultant shortages ‘put huge pressure on services’
A ‘worrying’ number of consultant posts are remaining unfilled for more than six months, the BMA has warned, which is putting pressure on services and on other doctors.
The latest workforce figures from NHS Scotland show that consultant vacancy rates as a whole are decreasing, standing at almost 6 per cent at the end of December.
But the number of long-term vacancies has risen slightly since September 2015, to stand at 144.9 (whole-time equivalent) at the end of the year. This is, however, a slight decrease on the same time last year.
Scotland health, well-being and sport secretary Shona Robison hailed t...
Source: BMA News - March 2, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
BMA shortlisted for media award
The BMA’s junior doctors' contract campaign has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.
The 'one profession’ campaign has been nominated in the ‘editorial campaign of the year’ category of the British Media Awards 2016.
One profession highlights how the junior doctors' contract changes are ‘everyone’s fight’ with support from across the medical profession and the public.
The BMA is one of eight nominees in the category, which includes The Guardian, Vice, Grazia and The Economist.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 4 May.
Read more about the British Media ...
Source: BMA News - March 2, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Underinvestment threatens safe care, says GP leader
Disinvestment in general practice by successive governments has drastically hampered doctors’ ability to provide safe care, BMA GPs committee chair Chaand Nagpaul has warned MPs.
Dr Nagpaul (pictured) made the warning during a hearing of the Commons health select committee on 15 December into primary care, pointing out that GP numbers, as a proportion of NHS doctors, has consistently fallen over recent years.
He said: ‘What I find extraordinary is how well GPs are managing to continue to acquire services in the face of what seems to be an impossible task.’
Dr Nagpaul, who was joined at Tuesday&rsqu...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Premises scheme faces breakdown
At least one in five projects to improve GP premises risk collapse because of a lack of funding commitment.
The BMA GPs committee issued the warning as it released the results of its survey of GP funding applicants.
A total of 200 GP practices which responded to the survey have received ‘approval in principle’ for bids to upgrade or expand their premises under NHS England’s Primary Care Transformation Fund.
More than 80 per cent of these 200 applicants, which represent 20 per cent of all such approved projects, expect to exceed an NHS England completion deadline of March 2016, and risk a loss of their fu...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Offer to cover GP indemnity costs
GPs will have their indemnity costs for extra OOH (out-of-hours) shifts covered this winter following BMA lobbying.
NHS England today announced it will make £2m available to help with these expenses from this month until March 2016 in a bid to help ease winter NHS pressures.
GPs usually have to change the level of their indemnity cover with medical defence organisations when taking on additional OOH sessions, which can dissuade them from taking up the work.
However, under the NHS England winter indemnity scheme, which has been developed with medical defence organisations, additional charges will be offset.
The...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
MPs approve devolved powers over healthcare
New laws conferring devolved powers over healthcare have been approved by MPs amid BMA warnings that the changes have ‘significant implications’ for the NHS.
Parliament this week approved the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, which seeks to grant greater powers to local authorities over areas such as health and social care services.
But the BMA has continued to lobby MPs on the potential impact of a piecemeal approach to devolving healthcare commissioning responsibilities.
In a briefing before the bill’s report stage, the BMA emphasised that in all cases of devolution, the health secretary sho...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Medical students denied flu jabs
The BMA is pressing employers to ensure medical students on placements are given flu jabs after reports that some are being denied vaccination.
Medical student leaders have written to NHS England asking it to publicise among employers that flu immunisation should be provided free for students on NHS placements.
NHS trusts are required to cover all occupational health requirements, including vaccinations and screening, for students under their supervision — as they would NHS staff.
However, the BMA medical students committee has learnt that some students have been refused when they have attended clinics to receive v...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Industrial action over junior contracts suspended
Industrial action by junior doctors has been suspended after the BMA reached an agreement with the Government to re-enter genuine negotiations.
The action, which was due to begin on Tuesday this week, has been averted following conciliatory talks with the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health.
All action planned for December is also suspended while negotiations take place — and the imposition of a new contract is put on hold.
Junior doctors in England were set to provide emergency care only for 24 hours from 8am on 1 December over the Government’s decision to impose a new contract on trainees.
Howev...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Indemnity cover confined to OOH centre GPs
Only GPs who work for OOH (out-of-hours) centres will have their indemnity costs covered this winter, the BMA has learned.
GP leaders have expressed alarm at the development which follows an announcement last week by NHS England that it will make £2m available to cover such expenses until March 2016.
The aim of the deal with medical defence organisations was to encourage GPs to take on extra OOH shifts to help ease winter pressures but now doctors working the same shifts could end up earning different amounts.
However, the BMA GPs committee has learned that only GPs working in OOH centres — not those do...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
GPs ensure healthcare access during floods
GPs have been praised for their quick response in providing voluntary weekend care to patients affected by the Cumbria floods.
GPs and nurses responded to urgent requests for additional help by out-of-hours organisations, ensuring areas cut off by the deluge had access to healthcare on Sunday.
The town of Appleby (pictured) was among the worst affected areas by Storm Desmond, which hit the UK at the weekend.
Routine services at many hospitals in the Lake District were cancelled and NHS trusts including Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust praised staff for offering extra help.
Meanwhile, GP practices in Cockermouth a...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Computer costs for students with disabilities
Medical students with disabilities will have to pay for computers under Government reforms described as ‘highly disappointing’ by the BMA.
From the 2016 academic year, students in England with disabilities will have to pay the first £200 towards computers following changes to the DSA (Disabled Students Allowance).
Printers, scanners and digital voice recorders will no longer be provided, and computer accessories will be funded only in exception circumstances, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills adds.
The Government announced the changes this month in response to its consultation on targetin...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
