Investment in GP access welcome but scale of changes needed shouldn't be underestimated

Responding to headline announcements from the upcoming GP access and primary care recovery plan announced by the government, Nuffield Trust Senior Clinical Fellow Dr Rebecca Rosen said:

“Investment in the front door to care for so many patients will be welcomed given the increasingly tight squeeze on available appointments with GPs and the growing dissatisfaction with services this has fuelled. Improving out-of-date phone systems and providing more training and support for overstretched reception teams to enable them to better direct patients to the most appropriate care will be hugely beneficial.

“But the amount of staff time and resources that will be needed to bring in these new systems should not be underestimated. Most practices will require a root-and-branch redesign and these often-small teams will require a lot of support to make these ambitions a reality. A real test for the full plan is whether it provides enough cover from locum GPs to roll out this major shift in a way that protects access for those who struggle with digital or remote technology – it is not yet clear that this will be the case or whether the funding for this won’t be taken from other priorities.

“Improving these systems in general practice is absolutely the right thing to do. But embedding new ways of working takes time, headspace and money - all of which are in very short supply in today’s health service. Keeping GPs and practice staff within the NHS should also be an essential part of this plan.”