The GP partnership model is ‘coming to an end of its life’ according to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Healthcare Leader reports.
“The partnership model in many cases is coming to an end of its life and we need to have more salaried GPs. We need more GPs, that is why we have got a big training programme,” he said.
He later launched a pledge to train more GPs and ensure salaried GP coverage across England.
“We’re going to improve GP access – end the 8am scramble. We’ll train more GPs, but we’ll also make the future of general practice more sustainable,” he told an audience in Braintree. “As the contractor model declines in some communities, we won’t let patients go without the care they need. We’ll bring fragmented services together, make sure salaried GPs serve all communities.”
Labour enjoyed a surge in doctors’ support last year when Wes Streeting MP told The Telegraph the party would abolish the cap on doctors’ pensions. Streeting also confirmed he was against user charging in the NHS.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “While Sir Keir Starmer rightly identifies the problems plaguing the GP partnership model, his proposed solution of relying more on salaried GPs overlooks a critical resource in our healthcare system – the GP locum workforce.
“With over 20,000 GP locums in the UK, we can’t afford to ignore our potential. Rather than stretching the role of salaried GPs even further, who already face high levels of responsibility and burnout, NHS England should be investing in models that support and empower our GP locums, like NASGP’s Locum Chambers model. This model not only offers a community and a support system for locums, but it also promises to be a sustainable and efficient solution to the challenges we face in general practice.”