RCGP launches major new business model for the future
of general practice
26.06.08
Politicians and doctors should be concentrating on the day to day
needs of patients instead of arguing the pros and cons of buildings
and real estate in the NHS review.
That is the message of the RCGP in its new publication
demonstrating how GPs working in federations are the real solution
to delivering improvements in patient care.
Primary Care Federations – putting patients first sets
out an approach to the development of primary care that builds on
and preserves the strengths of general practice and shows how
services can be extended to meet the new challenges
ahead.
The RCGP believes that federations are the key to delivering a
whole raft of improvements for patients including better access,
services closer to home and health promotion. It proposes groups of
GP practices working in partnership to provide a wider range of
services - including x-rays and scans - to patients in their local
community.
One of the greatest single benefits of Primary
Care Federations is that existing buildings would be used more
effectively, rather than the Government investing money in the
development of large new health centres.
Under the RCGP proposals, the savings created
would then be ploughed into building up high quality practices so
that they can develop and extend their services for patients.
The RCGP is growing increasingly concerned that in the battle of
words between the Government and the BMA over GP access and Lord
Darzi’s review of the NHS, the voice of the patient is being
forgotten.
The new publication is the College’s attempt to refocus the
debate and provide a workable solution that is acceptable to both
sides and that, most importantly, provides the very best possible
care for all NHS patients, regardless of their circumstances or
where they live.
It demonstrates how GP practices can set up federations and how
the model can be adapted to suit particular geographical
circumstances and patient populations, providing real life examples
of how different GP teams are already making federations work in
practice.
Federations would have a number of key
features including:
- High calibre management that could develop
the collective delivery of certain “back office” functions such as
finance and human resources.
- Capacity to increase number of internal
referrals between clinicians within the federation as it began to
use the diverse skills and interests of members more effectively -
federations might choose to employ specialists such as
dermatologists or specialist diabetes nurses.
- Critical mass to ensure that different GPs
could concentrate on different priorities and developing more
effective services for promoting health and preventing
ill-health.
- Capacity to widen the range of primary care
services by moving services from hospital settings and developing
as many services as possible within the community including
enhanced diagnostic services.
- Capacity to improve the quality of patient
care and patient safety by ensuring good governance across the
organisation. This governance function would include support
for effective annual appraisals and revalidation for medical
members and other staff.
RCGP Chairman Professor Steve Field said: “The
Government and the BMA both have very valid, albeit opposing,
viewpoints but we want to get the debate back to where it belongs -
delivering better services for our patients.
“We believe the solution lies in creating
Primary Care Federations with GPs and their teams working in
collaboration and co-operation rather than competition.
“It’s time for the
profession and the Government to embrace a new way of
working. The traditional small business model of general
practice is unsustainable in the long term but in seeking to
replace it we must not throw out the baby with the bath water.
“GPs are good at adapting to change and
seizing opportunities for improvement. We can achieve more
through GP practices working together than by individual practices
working in isolation.”
The RCGP Roadmap
published in September 2007 – before Lord Darzi’s review -
introduced the concept of Primary Care Federations with practices
working to share resources, expertise and services.
The subsequent announcement of Lord Darzi’s review included the
recommendation that a network of large health centres – now
commonly referred to as polyclinics - be established in particular
areas of the country including London to provide up to 50% of
outpatient treatment currently carried out in hospitals.
While the Government has insisted that the health centres
represent new and additional capacity, the BMA has vigorously
opposed the concept, claiming the new centres threaten the
existence of some local GP surgeries.
Ends
Please read on for Primary Care
Federations – putting patients first
For more information please contact
the RCGP Press Office 020 7344 3135/3136/3137/3129 or email
press@rcgp.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Royal College of General Practitioners is
a network of over 35,000 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.