RCGP Survey highlights GP concerns over NHS Reforms
1st February 2011
More than half of GPs responding to a snapshot
survey carried out by the RCGP are concerned that the proposed
health reforms will not lead to improvements in care for
patients.
The poll, conducted via the online tool SurveyMonkey, shows that
GPs are yet to be convinced that the reforms will improve patient
care, enhance the relationship between GPs and consultants, or
reduce bureaucracy in the NHS.
The College conducted the survey to add to its ongoing
consultations with GPs on the health service reforms, and
respondents were asked their views on four main areas:
- GP Commissioning
- Any Willing Provider
- NHS Infrastructure
- Direction of travel of reforms
The poll attracted more than 1,800 responses. Over 50% disagreed
that the proposed model of GP commissioning would create a
patient-led NHS. More than 70% of respondents said they disagreed-
or strongly-disagreed that the concept of ‘Any Willing Provider’
would either achieve a patient-led NHS, or improve healthcare
outcomes.
RCGP Chair Clare Gerada said:
“The RCGP is not opposed to NHS reform; we want to improve the
NHS for our patients, and GPs want to see a clinician-led NHS that
places patients at its very centre. However, these results
highlight the continuing concerns many of our members have about
the proposals outlined in the Health Bill.
“This is a snapshot of what our members are thinking at the
moment. These results show that a significant number of our members
are keen to support GP-led commissioning; it is something the
College, and GPs, have wanted for many years.
“However, our members are telling us that they are worried about
the pace at which these reforms are being implemented, the danger
of fragmentation of services, and the emphasis on competition, and
they are not sure whether the proposals really will have the
positive impact on patient care that is intended.
“Our members are also worried that time which could be spent
caring for patients will be taken away to deal with budgeting and
administration and that this will impact negatively on the quality
and continuity of care our patients receive".
“They worry about the financial pressures, and the competition
culture of ‘Any Willing Provider’; and they fear that these reforms
could cause irreparable and irreversible damage to the NHS."
“This is a straw poll, but I hope that these results will
provide the Government with an insight into the very real concerns
of general practitioners across England about the impact that these
reforms could have on the health care and services we provide to
our patients in the future.
“The RCGP is mindful of its responsibility to ensure,
irrespective of the concerns being expressed, that GPs are equipped
with the skills and tools to engage in commissioning and to
maintain high standards of care for patients. The new RCGP Centre
for Commissioning has already recruited 50 commissioning champions
from over 200 expressions of interest and is running a series of
practical workshops on effective commissioning for GPs across
England.
“We will be working with the Government, and others, to address
these concerns, and will be surveying our membership later in the
year to see how things are shaping up, and to see whether these
concerns remain valid.”
FURTHER INFORMATION
RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7576 / 7575
Out of hours: 07885 958 632
press@rcgp.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The poll was conducted via SurveyMonkey
and was open from 13/01/11 until 21/01/11. A link to the poll was
sent out via the Chair’s weekly e-Newsletter to members, via
the Seven Days bulletin, and via the Chair’s blog.
The poll comprised four questions, and in each respondents were
given the following options: strongly agree, agree, neither agree
nor disagree, disagree, and strongly disagree. Respondents were
also able to skip questions. As a result, counts for individual
questions varied from 1,841 to 1,826 responses.
View the results of the survey
here 
The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of over
42,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work
to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical
practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training,
research and clinical standards.