Changes in the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) are set to bring a slow rise in GP employment, says DAUK’s GP co-lead Dr Steve Taylor.
Analysis of NHS data by GP Online found that Primary Care Networks were increasingly using funding from the £1.7 billion a year scheme to employ GPs and nurses.
Dr Taylor welcomed the increased focus on GPs and nurses after a period of GP unemployment and underemployment.
Improve access
He told GP Online the changes provided an opportunity to address the shortage of GP capacity and improve access for patients.
Dr Taylor said: “It was described as additional funding but they did it at the expense of non-inflationary rises to core funding.
“The fact that they robbed core funding to provide additional roles was the problem all along.
“It meant that core funding and GP employment was hurt and practice nurse employment because obviously practice nurses weren’t allowed in the original ARRS either.”
Read the GP Online article and Dr Taylor’s comments in full.
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