The Future of General Practice: A 10-year strategy
The Royal College of General Practitioners Northern
Ireland (RCGP NI) recognise that there have been many changes to
our health care service and yet more are needed to secure a vibrant
and patient focused general practice. General practice must remain
at the centre of our ever evolving health care system as we move
forward in to the future to ensure that patients receive the
optimum quality of care and value for money with the ultimate aim
of producing a better patient experience for
everyone.
This is why Royal College of General Practitioners
Northern Ireland and the British Medical Association (BMA)
have worked together in producing a 10 year strategy for the future
of general practice. It is hoped that this strategy will provide a
pivotal role in shaping policy, education, research and training
for many years to come.
GPs, patient advocates and many key stakeholders
have worked together in producing a 10 year strategy for
general practice which will ensure that high standards
are maintained, that the profession is equipped with the
adequate resources and that the correct structures are put in place
to enhance the ability of general practice to tackle future
challenges.
To obtain a copy of the strategy, please click on
the following link:
The
Future of General Practice: 10 year
strategy
To obtain a copy of the 'Information Guide' to the
strategy, please click of the following link:
The
Future of General Practice in Northern Ireland: A 10-year
strategy
RCGP and the BMA have also woked together in
producing an information leaflet aimed at increasing
awareness of the profession within the general public. 'You and
Your GP' provides a useful look at the relationship between
patients and their GP, the role of a GP and how general practice is
organised throughout Northern Ireland.
To obtain a copy of the information leaflet, please
click on the following link:
You and Your
GP
 |
|
Dr
David Johnston (Chairman Northern Ireland Council) Dr Andrew
McCormick (Permanant
Secretary Department of Health Social Services and Public
Safety)and Dr Brian Dunn(Chairman NIGPC)
|
Launch of 10 Year Strategy: Stormont
The Royal College of General Practitioners,
Northern Ireland, in partnership with the British Medical
Association, has taken the first unique step forward in mapping out
a 10 year strategy for general practice. After a number
of consultations with GPs, patient advocates and other medical
professions, the Royal College of General Practitioners in Northern
Ireland is proud to be leading the way in setting a clear, coherent
strategy which will provide general practice with the confidence,
tenacity and the vision to help build a patient centred healthcare
service that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.
The document entitled ‘The Future of General
Practice: A 10 Year Strategy’ provides a strategic vision into how
general practice can tackle future challenges within our health
care system, whilst remaining focused on the future development of
the profession. The strategy is the first attempt to highlight the
issues to all concerned and offer solutions that will assist
general practice and therefore the whole health service to thrive
rather than just survive.
The main body of the strategy is centred on a
10 year action plan which will help deliver on many key challenges
facing general practice. The areas in which action must be taken
include:
- Improving service and accessibility
- Resourcing general practice
- Addressing educational and training needs for general
practice
- Monitoring the impact of medical regulations arrangements
- Improving leadership and management effectiveness within
general practice
- Developing a framework for effective management of general
practice
- Identifying and addressing competition issues
- Promoting the unique selling points of general practice
- Work with Trust and Commissioners
- Improving organisation within the infrastructure of general
practice
Commenting on the need for such a strategy Dr
David Johnston, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Council, advocated
that,
“The strategy we are launching today is
timely. Against the backdrop of new political structures and
institutions, the review of public administration, changing
population demographics and resultant health needs and
expectations, not to mention professional regulation and governance
changes, GPs, more than ever, need a strategy which will make sense
of all the issues effecting general practice.”
The document was officially launched at
Stormont by Dr Andrew McCormick, Permanent Secretary for the
Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety. Members and
staff of the legislative Assembly, GPs and associates from the
voluntary sector, were very well represented at the
event.
Speaking at the launch, Dr David Johnston put
forward the view that general practice has reached a
crossroads.
“We can empower general
practice, GPs can rise to the challenges ahead and together we can
build on all that has already been achieved or we can retreat, each
ploughing our own little furrow, busy doing worthy things, no
doubt, but never actually achieving our full potential either
individually or as a service. We would be surviving but not
thriving!”
Also launched was an
information leaflet for patients, outlining the role of a GP, the
services they may offer and how GPs coordinate patient care. ‘You
and Your GP’ strongly conveys the message to patients that GPs
deliver a very high quality service, provide great value for money
and overall supply patients with an excellent experience.
Guests in attendance left
Stormont with the strong message that ‘if we are all to move
forward and genuinely improve patient care in Northern Ireland we
must recognise that general practice is not the stumbling block but
the solution.’
GPs within Northern Ireland
will receive a copy of both documents including a number of
information leaflets to display in their practices.
Click on link above
For further information please contact Edward Hanna
on ehanna@rcgp.org.uk