Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) has spoken in the media about ongoing pressures facing general practice.
DAUK GP co-lead Dr Steve Taylor highlighted concerns over funding, workload and the future GP workforce.
He told Pulse that plans to expand cholesterol testing through pharmacies demonstrated the need for a ‘genuine joined up approach’ to prevention and treatment in the community.
Dr Taylor welcomed improved access to cholesterol testing but warned that GP practices must be properly funded to manage the additional workload generated by increased diagnosis and treatment.
GP funding
He said: “NHS England has continued to fail to provide enough funding for GP practices already providing record numbers of appointments.
“GP practices are receiving 20% less funding per patient than 10 years ago in real terms.
“The Department of Health and Social Care will say that they are providing more funding, improving satisfaction and more appointments.
“This is not a reflection of their input, it is a reflection of the hard work of GPs and their teams.”
Lack of GP roles
In a separate Pulse article, Dr Taylor raised concerns about the number of newly qualified GPs struggling to secure NHS roles.
Dr Taylor was commenting on new data that shows more than a third of GPs do not have fully-qualified roles in the NHS a year on from finishing training.
He said: “It is ridiculous that we spend all this money on training and don’t provide enough funding to general practice to employ them.”
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