Cap on agency staff pay for NHS trusts
NHS trusts in England have been subjected to a cap on the amount of money they can pay agency staff.
The cap, which came into effect last week, was opposed by the BMA, which warned it could have an impact on the supply of staff, including locum doctors, and the quality of services and patient safety.
The rules apply to all NHS trusts apart from ambulance trusts, but not to staff directly employed by trusts or bank staff who work additional hours to fill rota gaps at either their own trust or others in a network.
GPs are also excluded unless they work directly for a trust.
In its respons...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Call for CQC chief Steve Field to resign
GP leaders have called for the resignation of chief inspector of general practice Steve Field for making ‘unjustified comments’ undermining the role of the profession.
The BMA GPs committee today expressed no confidence in CQC (Care Quality Commission) chief inspector of general practice Professor Field (pictured), himself a GP, who was reported by The Daily Mail as saying general practice had ‘failed’ as a profession.
GPC chair Chaand Nagpaul said that today’s vote was a reflection of the anger felt by GPs over Professor Field’s comments, adding that many felt the CQC’s ins...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Boost for GP trainee numbers
The number of doctors taking up GP training posts in England has risen almost fourfold in a year, latest figures reveal.
GP leaders say the increase is a ‘step in the right direction’ following BMA lobbying but more work is needed to address ‘worrying shortages’ in parts of the country.
The figures from HEE (Health Education England) show 180 doctors were accepted for GP training in the third round of recruitment this year, compared with 47 last year.
Overall, the fill rates have risen by two percentage points in a year to 89 per cent in 2015 — almost 100 more places filled than in 2014.
Comme...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
BMA calls for commitment to public health
The Government must renew its commitment to protecting funding for public health services to avoid creating future problems for the NHS, the BMA has warned.
The message comes as the Commons health select committee prepares to consider evidence submitted to its inquiry into structural changes in public health services since 2013.
The inquiry aims to examine the delivery of services and the effectiveness of responsible local authorities in light of the reforms brought in under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
BMA public health medicine committee chair Iain Kennedy (pictured) said public health services in England continu...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
BMA NI responds to health reform plans
The health service in Northern Ireland needs to move towards a planning-based model and away from a purchaser-provider split.
BMA Northern Ireland makes the recommendation in response to a recent consultation on health and social care reforms in the nation.
The consultation from the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, called Health and Social Care: Reform and Transformation — Getting the Structures Right, follows on from recommendations made by former chief medical officer for England Professor Sir Liam Donaldson last year.
Sir Liam was critical of the current purchaser-provider split an...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
SAS doctors' development under threat
Three quarters of UK SAS doctors have had to sacrifice development time over the past year to meet clinical demands, a survey has revealed.
A study into workplace satisfaction for staff, associate specialist and specialty doctors found that 75 per cent of those surveyed had to give up SPAs (supporting professional activities) occasionally or frequently to fulfill clinical duties.
The survey, which was completed by 1,520 SAS doctors between July and September last year, also revealed that 68 per cent of respondents worked on average up to four hours additional to the weekly hours in their job plan.
It also found that...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Retention is greatest challenge, finds poll
Recruitment and retention of doctors is the biggest challenge facing the NHS this year, a BMA poll reveals.
Just under 60 per cent of respondents to an online survey cited attracting and retaining people to medicine as the number one issue for the health service.
Of 778 responses, 446 voters (57 per cent) picked recruitment and retention as the top challenge.
The NHS is experiencing recruitment and retention problems, particularly in general practice and many junior doctors have cited the contracts dispute as a reason for considering moving abroad.
Other challenges facing the NHS in 2016, according to the poll findi...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Medical students stand firm with juniors
Around 7,000 medical students have pledged their support for junior doctors’ fight for a fair and safe contract.
Thousands have signed an online page saying they back the BMA campaign for a new contract for trainees in England that has ‘quality, safety and fairness at its heart’.
Students have been expressing their support as tens of thousands of junior doctors in England prepare to take industrial action on Tuesday over their contract dispute with the Government.
Around 7,000 students have signed the pledge on the BMA website.
Last year, there were around 6,000 England medical schools graduates w...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Junior doctors suspend industrial action
The BMA today decided to suspend a second period of industrial action by junior doctors planned for next week.
Tens of thousands of trainees in England were due to provide emergency care-only cover for 48 hours, beginning next Tuesday.
However, the association decided to halt the action while conciliation talks between the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health continue.
BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana (pictured) said while differences still existed between the two sides in the contracts dispute, the association’s focus was on building on the initial progress made.
‘The BMA&r...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
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 ...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
GPs forced to close practice lists
Increasing numbers of GP surgeries are being forced to turn away new patients owing to immense pressures.
BMA GPs committee chair Chaand Nagpaul has commented in response to an investigation by the BBC into the numbers of surgeries across England requesting a freeze on registering new patients.
The investigation, carried out under the Freedom of Information Act, shows that at least 100 surgeries applied to NHS England during 2014/15 for permission to stop accepting new patients.
Dr Nagpaul said that many surgeries were no longer able to cope with a lack of resources and intense demand, and were having to close their practi...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
GPs and trusts face 'exorbitant' CQC fees hike
GPs and NHS trusts face huge regulatory fee rises under proposals the BMA says could be devastating for the health service.
The plans proposed by the CQC (Care Quality Commission) could mean a sevenfold rise for GPs working in multiple locations and would mean practices in England paid a total of £40m a year to the regulator.
The association says these ‘exorbitant’ hikes are ‘inexplicable’ given that the CQC is looking to scale down its inspection process and warns of a potentially catastrophic effect on patient care for small GP practices, whose fees could rise from £725 to &poun...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Freeze on loan threshold is 'broken promise', says BMA
Medical students are set to be affected by Government plans to freeze repayment rates on student loans at current rates until 2021.
The BMA has warned that the decision to maintain the starting level of loan repayments at £21,000 means the Government has gone back on its word to students.
The decision was made by chancellor George Osborne in his autumn statement, despite the coalition Government saying in 2010 that it would seek to increase the repayment threshold in line with average national earnings.
BMA medical students committee deputy co-chair for finance Tom Rock, pictured, said: ‘In failing to increase ...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Family doctor to join reforms panel
A BMA Northern Ireland representative has been appointed to a panel to advise on health and social care reforms.
BMA Northern Ireland GPs committee deputy chair Alan Stout (pictured) will join the group convened by the health minister.
Belfast GP Dr Stout is one of six experts appointed to the panel, which will examine issues such as an ageing population, the increasing number of people with chronic conditions, and technological advances.
Dr Stout said: ‘I’m delighted to be appointed to this panel and look forward to working with what is a great team of professional experts in examining ways to advance these vi...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
End-of-life essentials: a question of ethics
Discussion with doctors addressed four distinct areas in providing quality EOLC during the national events.
These included the assessment of patients’ mental capacity, pain relief, the detection and treatment of depression, and providing patients with a prognosis regarding life expectancy.
On account of the inherent difficulties in giving accurate timescales for life expectancy, particularly in the medium to long term, many doctors felt uncomfortable about the prospect of having to give uncertain answers or risk failing to meet a patient’s request.
Emotional support
For many doctors, a terminal diagnosi...
Source: BMA News - March 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
