Dean Marshall: Consultation is key to developing a Scottish GP service fit for all

Published on Monday 4 May 2009 19:00

THE Scottish Government recently announced its commitment to a publicly provided NHS GP service.

In order to develop a service that is fit for the future, and in the absence of clear government strategy, the BMA has taken the step of launching a national public consultation to find out what GPs, NHS Scotland, politicians and the public believe should be included in this strategy.

General Practice in Scotland: the Way Ahead, will give patients the chance to shape the future of general practice in Scotland.

Have you ever felt that access to your GP surgery could be better? What changes would you like to see in your GP surgery? Do you think that changing the way out-of-hours services are delivered in Scotland would improve care?

If you have ever thought things could be better, now is your chance to have your say and shape the way GP services are provided in Scotland.

Every year, more than 23 million consultations take place in GP surgeries across Scotland. Patients are ideally placed to provide an insight into what changes could be made to improve healthcare services. It is therefore essential that patients, not just politicians and doctors, make their voices heard in this consultation.

BMA Scotland wants this new consultation to encourage discussion on a long-term strategy for general practice. Rising patient expectations, increased demand for access to appointments, inadequate premises and limited career opportunities for newly qualified GPs, are just some of the challenges facing Scottish general practice today.

The consultation considers six areas that GPs consider require the most urgent attention:

&149 Improving access to services;

&149 Developing the right workforce;

&149 Reducing health inequalities;

&149 Shifting the balance of care;

&149 Providing out-of-hours care;

&149 Improving premises and information technology.

Doctors recognise that the public want greater access to GP services, but current structures and resources mean that this cannot always be achieved. We hope this document will encourage a sensible debate about what NHS general practice can realistically deliver and where we need to adapt to become more responsive to patients.

Other measures, such as a public information campaign about responsible use of NHS services, can contribute towards managing demand.

People living in deprived communities are more likely to experience poor health and have a shorter life expectancy than people living in more affluent communities, so how can GPs help reduce health inequalities?

The consultation suggests options such as increasing training opportunities in deprived communities and investing in GP premises to enable a wide range of services to be available locally.

Out-of-hours services have proven to be a bone of contention for many GPs and patients since changes were introduced in 2004.

The report suggests a range of options, including increasing GP involvement in the current NHS 24 service; retaining NHS 24 as a telephone answering service but devolving funding for out-of-hours services to NHS boards to provide the service; or dismantling NHS 24 altogether and transferring responsibility for the service to NHS boards.

If you feel strongly about this, or any other aspect of primary services, then now is your opportunity to have your say.

&#149 Dean Marshall is the chair of BMA Scotland's GP committee.

&#149 The document is available at: www.bma.org.uk/healthcare_policy/thewayahead.jsp. Comments can also be e-mailed to info.wayahead @bma.org.uk