The government has announced a reduction in bureaucratic barriers to access a £1.4 billion fund, which will enable the NHS to recruit over 1,000 newly qualified family doctors.
This move responds to criticisms that the previous government did not recruit sufficient doctors, resulting in overworked GPs. Many GPs have been seeing as many as 60 to 70 patients daily, a workload the British Medical Association (BMA) considers three times the safe limit.
The BMA’s decision on potential industrial action is expected today. Ministers revealed plans to cut through red tape, allowing GP surgeries in England to hire more doctors. Leading medical professionals have advocated for GP practices to have the flexibility to use funding to employ additional GPs and practice nurses.
What is the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme?
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme is a £1.4 billion fund aimed at increasing the number of staff in GP practices, including physician associates and pharmacists, but it initially excluded GPs and practice nurses.
The government has now announced that this funding can be used to recruit newly qualified GPs in the 2024/25 period.
An Interim Measure?
Officials have described this as an “emergency measure” while the government collaborates with the medical profession to find long-term solutions to GP unemployment and the sustainability of general practice. The Department of Health and Social Care estimates that this change will allow for the hiring of more than 1,000 new doctors at GP practices nationwide this year.
GP Industrial Action
It remains uncertain whether this measure will prevent possible industrial action by GPs in England. The last collective action by GPs occurred in 1964 when they submitted undated resignations, leading to reforms such as the Family Doctor Charter of 1965. The BMA has expressed concerns that the new GP contract, which includes a 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25, may not be sufficient for many surgeries to remain financially viable.
GPs have been balloted on the potential for collective action in response to the new contract. This could involve limiting patient numbers to 25 per day, ceasing non-contracted work, and disregarding “rationing” restrictions to prescribe what is in the best interest of patients.
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chairwoman of the BMA’s England General Practitioners Committee, called the scheme an “experiment that has failed” but acknowledged that GPs had requested more flexibility in spending the funding pot, suggesting cost-neutral solutions that could significantly improve their working conditions.
Commenting on the emergency measure, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting stated:
“It is absurd that patients can’t book appointments while GPs can’t find work. This government is taking immediate action to put GPs to work, so patients can get the care they need. This is a first step, as we begin the long-term work of shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to fix the front door to the NHS. I want to work with GPs to rebuild our NHS, so it is there for all of us when we need it.”
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting
Final Thought
The initiative to relax the rules around the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme represents a positive step towards addressing the pressing issue of GP shortages in England.
However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to alleviate the strain on existing GPs or prevent further industrial action.
The government’s willingness to adapt and find long-term solutions will be crucial in ensuring that the NHS can provide accessible and effective care for all.
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