General Practice 2022
The consultation will run from 14th September until 8th October 2012, and the College is asking respondents to complete an online questionnaire or to submit views via email to policy@rcgp.org.uk.
The College has also compiled a ‘compendium of evidence’ demonstrating how general practice can – and should be – the driving force for transforming the health service over the next decade.
Once finalised, the vision will form the basis of the College’s blueprint for the future of general practice and patient care – along with the requirements and responsibilities that will be necessary to deliver it.
About the RCGP’s vision
The RCGP’s current ambitions for longer training, increased numbers of GPs and longer consultation times, form the backdrop to the 2022 consultation paper.
It looks at four main areas:
- The current role of general practice and GPs in the UK - vital for the provision of high quality, integrated and cost effective services closer to home.
- General practice as a driver of improved health outcomes – through disease prevention and by providing rapid diagnosis and access to specialist care where required
- Future challenges – ageing populations; increased volume and complexity of care; financial constraints; structural changes and health inequalities
- Working in new ways – including new models of delivering care, developing new skills and taking on new roles.
It also sets out three main areas for action
- Increase the number of new GPs who enter the profession, by promoting general practice as a career amongst medical students and improve the way in which general practice is viewed and valued;
- Retain the existing workforce, by increasing levels of support and resource, particularly in areas where GPs are under most pressure, and providing better support for returners;
- Advance the development of the profession, by extending postgraduate training from three to four years, equipping GPs with new skills and supporting research and innovation.