David Cameron promises seven-day GP access by 2020

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Northerner

Northerner

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Everyone in England will have access to GP services seven days a week by 2020, Prime Minister David Cameron has promised.

The prime minister has unveiled a further £100m from April 2015 for a fund set up last year to improve flexibility.

The government has also promised to bring back "named GPs" - to take charge of care outside hospital.

It will form part of a new contract for GPs to be announced later on Tuesday.

Mr Cameron said: "People need to be able to see their GP at a time that suits them and their family. That's why we will ensure everyone can see a GP seven days a week by 2020.

"We will also support thousands more GP practices to stay open longer - giving millions of patients better access to their doctor."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29415929

So, he's going to try and practically double the hours, which will in turn double the need for staff (doctors, nurses, reception staff etc.) and costs (lighting, heating etc.) for £100m? So why hasn't he already done it? How will he train all the extra staff needed in 5 years unless he immediately recruits more students? How will he attract people into the NHS to cover all this when morale is so low and more and more are leaving to work abroad or take early retirement? :(
 
2020? No rush! I'm shocked it takes so long to see a gp.
 
It already takes me at least 7 days to get to see a GP; sometimes longer. :(🙄
 
Seven-day access to GPs for all patients, promises PM

The story as told by 'Pulse', the GP magazine:

A Pulse survey in April revealed that more than half of GPs believe that the Government’s move towards seven-day GP access will negatively affect the safety of patient care.

GPC chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: ‘This announcement fails to grasp the reality of a GP service struggling under extreme strain and without the capacity to meet current demands, resulting in patients already waiting too long to see their GP.
Click to expand...

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/20008055.article#.VCqebPldWAg
 
We already know that the doctors never like change unless they make a nice packet out of it. Labour had to double their pay to get the 24 hour targets in place which is now so widely abused by so many fraudulent GP's
 
ypauly said:
We already know that the doctors never like change unless they make a nice packet out of it. Labour had to double their pay to get the 24 hour targets in place which is now so widely abused by so many fraudulent GP's
Click to expand...

If there were so many acting truly 'fraudulent' then surely the government would have tackled this by now? 🙄 My personal view is that there are good and bad in all professions, but the good ones are worth every penny - and they are not paid such huge amounts as you suggest, in the scheme of things. I've worked with many, many people who earned ten times as much for pushing numbers around a screen and not having to suffer any consequences if the numbers ended up in the wrong place. I don't believe that financial gain is the prime motivation of those in the medical profession, but I do believe they should be well-rewarded for what they do.
 
Northerner said:
If there were so many acting truly 'fraudulent' then surely the government would have tackled this by now? 🙄 My personal view is that there are good and bad in all professions, but the good ones are worth every penny - and they are not paid such huge amounts as you suggest, in the scheme of things. I've worked with many, many people who earned ten times as much for pushing numbers around a screen and not having to suffer any consequences if the numbers ended up in the wrong place. I don't believe that financial gain is the prime motivation of those in the medical profession, but I do believe they should be well-rewarded for what they do.
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I dpn't know of any GP practices that do not fraudulently twist the 24 hour target on appointments for the purpose of personal gain.



I would love to hear of one though, I really would, but as a working person that wants to book appointments in advance in order to fit in with my shifts I am always told and have always been told since these changes were introduced that I have to ring on the day to get an appointment for that day.This has been the same for the three practices I have been registered at.

I have found ways though to twist their arms in order to get an appointment and suspect I am very unpopular with my practice manager.:D



Oh and according to the table I saw last year, they are very very well rewarded, the highest paid GP's in the EU.
 
I guess that's one of the advantages of being self-employed. I is the boss 🙂
 
This is worth a read, plus the comments, a doctor's thoughts on his job:

What has become of the job I loved?

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/20008010.article#.VCrRKfldWAg

(free registration)

Interesting to read the comment from the person who describes the US as 20 years ahead in healthcare. How is it then that the NHS has come top and the US system at the bottom in this study?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/17/nhs-health

Whether we have the highest paid doctors in the EU is irrelevant (and by what measure?), we are also one of the wealthiest countries in the EU and have the best health service.
 
I find it very strange that most people including most doctors and nurses work weekends as a normal part of working life, you can walk into any hospital to see that. Yet as soon a GP's are mentioned there is some sort of uproar like we are being bloody cheeky asking.

They have a new contract on the way and I suspect it will contain sweeteners of some description but this total inflexibility not only costs a fortune but puts pressure on other areas of the NHS as people that are sick at weekends still seek help.
 
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