The GPC is to seek the views of all UK GPs on contract changes proposed by the DoH for April 2008 after talks on extended hours broke down.

Primary care first point of contact? Tougher contract. My opinion this is impossible much work has transferred from secondary to primary care.Saving nhs thousands and improving patient care. You can only put so much pressure on before explosion. Award what primary care does for our nation rather than THREATENING because gps dont agree, pressure on primary care and gps are huge, recognise the need for more walk in minor illness nurse lead centres, saving on resources and saving on primary care pressure

I do wish the government would be less doctrinaire about the need for extended hours. The needs of working people could be met by practices reserving appointments before 8.30 am and after 6 pm for working people, and an enhanced service offering GPs a payment per consultation after 6.30 pm.

First of all DOH is sticking on to comments on small percentage of replies on the survey.Secondly about extra 3 hour work by practices is unfare.If it happens Government should pay double rate to attract GPs who are already overworked.It could be item of service under enhanced scheme.Altering points etc is not to be trusted as that can be changed any time and GPs could be left 3 hour extra work for nothing.Financial pressures are already building up on practices in this financial year

I am more than happy to work extra hours if all the politicians and managers do the same.

i have no disagreement with my colleague. It is the way the stick and carrot being used by politicians.The provisions for patient care is well catered for both in and  OOH.The GPC seems to be barking up the wrong tree, they need to look at the European directive on Human Rights and take the goverment to task on it,if that is the only way to knock some sense into their heads!

I think it is extraordinary that the GPC is even talking to the DoH about committing GP's and all their staff to working additional hours without additional funds being put on the table.  No-one in any profession or in any kind of employment would consider working extra hours without additional payment.  For three years running primary care has now seen no uplift on practice payments.  Would anyone seriously consider offering the police force similar terms?  Dentists would just fall over laughing!  GP's continue to be abused in the press but are failing miserably to defend the profession and the enormous amount of work carried out in their surgeries.  Change is inevitable, and necessary, to continue improvements to the care of our patients.  But there is a danger in accepting work which has no funding, in that goodwill, empathy and caring by all those involved in primary healthcare, which includes not just GP's but all the excellent staff who work with them, will be affected.  If we really care about our patients, then we must defend our practice and fight hard for proper funding of each and every service we provide.  What is being negotiated now is an attempt to fund the out-of-hours service, a service that relied for many years on the goodwill of GP's; a service that GP's were paid £6k for and which we understandably gave up readily so others could get out of bed instead; and which now the DoH thinks we should now start working again.  This year we are asked to work an additional half hour per 1000 patients.  What will we be asked to do next year?  Or the year after?  Is there ANY doctor who trusts the DoH or politicians anymore?

Here's another line the GPC could 'negotiate' on GPs behalf. Why not allow GPs to see patients 'privately' as do hospital consultants. That way, if the Government removes the sum they threatened with the changes in the 'newly' negotiated contract, GPs then has another means to earn back some of these 'lost' earnings.

Jacqueline DeSouza. 25/01/08 The money incentive is only available if the GP principal him/her self, intends to offer this service. As an ANP, working in general practice,I would have gladly offered to provide more unsocial hours.Why is the government so narrow minded? Far behind leading Countries where they value this role in general practice. PHEW FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER GOT IT OFF MY CHEST!!!

Why not get all our staff to sign the petion mentioned in News in Brief (P4 GP 1st Feb 08). http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/unilateral/

They would also be affected if they had to work extra hours too.

Raymond Green 

 

 

The contract that we all signed up to was on the basis of a fundamentl framework which delivered a comprehensive service of excellence in the areas defined and was easily monitored. Furthermore we only signed (knowing that there would be a huge amount of work to get this up and running) on the basis that

ALL NEW WORK WOULD COME WITH ITS OWN FUNDING STREAM

 

when the politicians finally realise that we meant what we siad and that we are all so pressed for time that there is no flexibility to allow us to take on more .....then we shall actually be taken seriously as a vlaued body of professionals.

If that means that we have to take affirmative action - then let us gird our loins - we are being treated like naughty children at the moment ......NO MORE