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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| GPs urged to commit to seven day service or lose funding | GPs urged to commit to seven day service or lose funding |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| GPs in England must keep their surgeries open for longer to meet demand from patients, or risk losing funding, Downing Street has warned. | GPs in England must keep their surgeries open for longer to meet demand from patients, or risk losing funding, Downing Street has warned. |
| It said many patients were going to under pressure A&E departments because they could not get appointments. | |
| The government wants to see surgeries open between 08:00 and 20:00, seven days a week, unless they can prove the demand is not there. | The government wants to see surgeries open between 08:00 and 20:00, seven days a week, unless they can prove the demand is not there. |
| The British Medical Association accused ministers of "scapegoating" doctors. | The British Medical Association accused ministers of "scapegoating" doctors. |
| Downing Street issued a statement saying surgeries should do more to ensure they offer appointments in the evening and at weekends. | Downing Street issued a statement saying surgeries should do more to ensure they offer appointments in the evening and at weekends. |
| It said: "Most GPs do a fantastic job, and have their patients' interests firmly at heart. | It said: "Most GPs do a fantastic job, and have their patients' interests firmly at heart. |
| "However, it is increasingly clear that a large number of surgeries are not providing the access that patients need - and that patients are suffering as a result because they are then forced to go to A&E to seek care. | "However, it is increasingly clear that a large number of surgeries are not providing the access that patients need - and that patients are suffering as a result because they are then forced to go to A&E to seek care. |
| "It's also bad for hospitals, who then face additional pressure on their services." | "It's also bad for hospitals, who then face additional pressure on their services." |
| It comes as figures show more than four in 10 hospitals in England declared a major alert in the first week of the new year as they faced unprecedented pressures. | It comes as figures show more than four in 10 hospitals in England declared a major alert in the first week of the new year as they faced unprecedented pressures. |
| Why bother with seven-day GP opening? | Why bother with seven-day GP opening? |
| Patient films A&E corridor bed 'chaos' | Patient films A&E corridor bed 'chaos' |
| Number 10 said ministers had been shown evidence that some GP surgeries were failing to tell patients about extending hours appointments or ensure they were at convenient times. | Number 10 said ministers had been shown evidence that some GP surgeries were failing to tell patients about extending hours appointments or ensure they were at convenient times. |
| It said those who could not get seen outside of working hours were "left with little option" but to go to A&E. | |
| Downing Street said the prime minister was supporting a series of reforms to help reduce pressures on hospitals, including: | Downing Street said the prime minister was supporting a series of reforms to help reduce pressures on hospitals, including: |
| Figures from the National Audit Office show that 46% of GP surgeries closed at some point during core hours - with 18% closing at or before 15:00 on at least one weekday. | Figures from the National Audit Office show that 46% of GP surgeries closed at some point during core hours - with 18% closing at or before 15:00 on at least one weekday. |
| Three-quarters of those received extra funding in 2015-16 to provide access outside of core hours, the government said. | Three-quarters of those received extra funding in 2015-16 to provide access outside of core hours, the government said. |
| The Director of Acute Care for NHS England, Professor Keith Willett, recently estimated that 30% of patients attending A&E would be better cared for elsewhere in the system. | The Director of Acute Care for NHS England, Professor Keith Willett, recently estimated that 30% of patients attending A&E would be better cared for elsewhere in the system. |
| 'Scapegoats' | 'Scapegoats' |
| But the British Medical Association (BMA) accused ministers of trying to "deflect blame" on to doctors rather than address the funding crisis in the NHS. | But the British Medical Association (BMA) accused ministers of trying to "deflect blame" on to doctors rather than address the funding crisis in the NHS. |
| GP committee chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said pressure on A&E services was down to seriously ill patients for whom seeing a GP would not prevent a hospital admission. | GP committee chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said pressure on A&E services was down to seriously ill patients for whom seeing a GP would not prevent a hospital admission. |
| He called on the government to "take responsibility" for a crisis of its own making and outline an emergency plan to tackle under-resourcing in the NHS. | He called on the government to "take responsibility" for a crisis of its own making and outline an emergency plan to tackle under-resourcing in the NHS. |
| "This is not the time to deflect blame or scapegoat overstretched GP services, when the fundamental cause of this crisis is that funding is not keeping up with demand," he added. | "This is not the time to deflect blame or scapegoat overstretched GP services, when the fundamental cause of this crisis is that funding is not keeping up with demand," he added. |
| Commuters' view | |
| Health think tank the Nuffield Trust's chief executive Nigel Edwards said the problem was capacity, not timing. | |
| "If you haven't got more GPs and more practice nurses to do it, you haven't increased the number of appointments, you've just put additional pressure on a service that's already under a very severe level of pressure," he said. | |
| The A&E issue was more down to patients waiting to be admitted, while the NHS had been "plagued by single-initiative ideas rather than trying to think systemically about how to solve its problems", he said. | |
| Improving access to general practice was a good idea, but imposing it on an unhappy profession may only cause extra problems, he added. | |
| He said policy makers, who tended to commute, wanted to see their GP in the evening but a lot of the people actually calling on the capacity of GP surgeries were young children and older people. | |
| Hospital hub | |
| The GP controversy follows a National Audit Office report which this week said plans to increase access to GPs had not been weighed up for their cost-effectiveness. | |
| The government said ministers believe GP surgeries have a "vital role" to play in alleviating pressure on A&E and 17 million patients have already benefited from extended hours services. | The government said ministers believe GP surgeries have a "vital role" to play in alleviating pressure on A&E and 17 million patients have already benefited from extended hours services. |
| It pointed to schemes such as the Integrated South Kent Coast pilot where 110,000 patients registered with 18 practices around a local hospital hub can book appointments from 8am-8pm seven days a week. | It pointed to schemes such as the Integrated South Kent Coast pilot where 110,000 patients registered with 18 practices around a local hospital hub can book appointments from 8am-8pm seven days a week. |
| A 14% increase in funding to general practice will ensure there will be about 5,000 more doctors by 2020, it added. | |
| Are you a GP? What is your reaction to the issues raised in this story? You can share your comments and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you a GP? What is your reaction to the issues raised in this story? You can share your comments and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |