GPs in England strike deal to help end ‘8am scramble’ for appointments
The government said patients will be able to book more appointments online and require their usual doctors to be viewed under a new contract consistent with GPs in England.
The deal offers an additional £889 million per year for general practice, as well as a reduction in the traditional Chinese tape festival and the goal of ministers hoping, meaning doctors will be released to see more patients.
The Labor government announced its promise to bring back the “family” doctors and end the early morning phone call “scramble” for a date.
The doctors union BMA said the deal is an important first step in restoring general practices.
However, doctors also want the government to commit to talking about the national contracts of doctors across the country in this parliament.
GP surgery is seen as the front door of the NHS, but doctors have been warning them about the pressures they have on their services for years.
Patients also felt that some people were facing a long wait for dates.
Now, it is hoped that the additional money agreed in the new GP surgery contract can start to improve.
The next new agreement for the 2025-26 fiscal year will increase the total value of the contract by 7.2%.
The total includes nearly £800 million to cover rising costs such as employee wages, repair and maintenance of buildings and more patients.
Other measures include surgical flexibility in hiring different medical staff.
GPs will be paid more for routine childhood vaccination.
By cutting down what the government calls “finicky targets,” ministers say GPs will be released to take the first step to end the “8 am scramble” to make an appointment.
Wes Streeting, Secretary of Health and Social Care, said these are the first steps to fix what he calls the “broken NHS.”
“Over the past decade, GP funding has been cut relative to the rest of the NHS, and the number of targets for GPS soared,” he said.
“That’s why patients struggle to make appointments.
“This government is cutting the traditional Chinese tape festival, which connects GPS time to an additional £889 million next year.
“In return, more patients will be able to request appointments online and meet their regular doctors for each date.”
Dr. Katie Bramall-Stainer, chairman of the BMA GPS committee, said the contract was a good start but required more work.
“We have proven that we want to work sincerely with this government and to start with this new beginning – what we need now is certainty for our collective future.
“We know that the Treasury will announce the funding plan for this Parliament this spring and we need to see a new substantive GP practice contract for England in the upcoming comprehensive spending review.”
Dr Bramall -Stainer told the BBC breakfast general routine has been pushed to a “desperate point” over the past 15 years – “thousands of GPs” left.
She explained that after the new agreed measures, patients may see “the first sign of green buds” including being able to get to know their doctors, local staff, and advertising for more employees.
She noted that patients will “potentially” start noting the six to 12-month difference, but insisted that despite a step in the right direction, these new measures are “far from the solution.”
