The General Practitioners’ Committee (GPC) has called for the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme funding to go straight to practice level, and for an emergency additional funding to reduce GP under/unemployment as soon as possible, Pulse reports.
GP Committee England chair Dr Katie Bramall wrote to health minister Stephen Kinnock MP to point out that the recently-published 10 Year Health Plan did not include a new GMS contract for GPs.
The news comes after it also emerged that a large London ICB appointed hospital trusts, rather than GPs, to oversee the new neighbourhood health service called for by the Health Plan.
ARRS funding has ‘ostracised’ sessional GPs, NASGP chair Dr Richard Fieldhouse told GP Online in a podcast earlier this year.
Some 60% of GPs reported a decrease in the rates offered for GP work in the previous 12 months, the BMA reported in June.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “The General Practitioners’ Committee have absolutely hit the nail on the head with their call for ARRS funding to go directly to practice level, and for urgent emergency additional funding to reduce GP underemployment as soon as possible. This is exactly the urgent action we need.
“As we’ve consistently highlighted, a staggering majority of sessional GPs are struggling to find work as GP locums or salaried GPs, with 56% reporting unused clinical capacity, and 60% enduring decreasing rates and salaries. This crisis means GPs are turning to other jobs, even working for free to maintain their professional standing, while patients face longer waits for appointments.
“The 10 Year Health Plan will be impossible to fulfil without the full support of our GP practices and sessional GPs, who bring unique flexibility and insights to the NHS front line. It’s time to remove the red tape from ARRS funding to allow practices to hire the GPs they desperately need, ensuring our skilled workforce can provide the care patients deserve.”