‘General practice must not be forgotten in any sweeping reforms’ warns College Chair

Responding to the announcement that NHSE will be abolished, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs said:

“The NHS has been through many structural changes in its history, some of which have worked more successfully than others. But throughout any reorganisation, the priority must always remain patients and making sure that healthcare professionals are properly supported and resourced to deliver the care they deserve. What's vital moving forward is that every step of the planned integration of NHS England and DHSC is carefully thought through and does not become a diversion.

“We are yet to see the full details of the Health Secretary’s plan, but it is vital that general practice is not forgotten in any sweeping reforms. If the Government is going to deliver on its manifesto commitment to move more care out of hospitals and into the community, GP involvement will be essential – so it’s reassuring to hear that there will be a Medical Director of Primary Care role as part of these plans.

“General practice delivers the vast majority of patient contacts in the NHS but has faced decades of neglect and underfunding. Our hardworking GPs are being pushed to breaking point every day by workforce and workload pressures, and our patients are still reporting struggling to access our care. We need change, and we will work with the Government to make sure any reforms deliver the care our patients need and that dedicated GP teams are appropriately supported to do their jobs.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 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.