4th February 2008
Businesses repeat longer GP hours call
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has renewed its call for doctors to provide flexible services, as the government writes to GPs asking them to accept its proposals for extended surgery hours.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson has taken the unusual step of directly contacting individual GPs, after failing to reach agreement with the General Practitioners' Committee (GPC) of the British Medical Association (BMA) on the introduction of extra opening hours.
In an apparent attempt to bypass the BMA, which formally represents doctors' interests in the UK, Mr Johnson's letter states: "We were disappointed that the GPC was not able before Christmas to agree the proposed contract changes for 2008/09, but we still hope that front line GPs will back the proposals."
Commenting on the letter, CBI director of public services Dr Neil Bentley said: "Last year four times as many working hours were lost because of visits to the doctor as were lost to industrial action because staff had no choice but to visit their surgery during office hours."
"The government is absolutely right to push for surgeries to offer opening times that suit people better."
The BMA has reacted angrily, however. Quoted by BBC News, GPC chairman Laurence Buckman said that he thought the government was trying to 'soften up' patients in preparation for more significant changes.
"Patients are being prepared to view their GP as not very good and not very willing and not very flexible," he said, "and as a result to look kindly on the government's currently favoured model which is that patients should receive general practice from polyclinics."
Health Secretary Alan Johnson has taken the unusual step of directly contacting individual GPs, after failing to reach agreement with the General Practitioners' Committee (GPC) of the British Medical Association (BMA) on the introduction of extra opening hours.
In an apparent attempt to bypass the BMA, which formally represents doctors' interests in the UK, Mr Johnson's letter states: "We were disappointed that the GPC was not able before Christmas to agree the proposed contract changes for 2008/09, but we still hope that front line GPs will back the proposals."
Commenting on the letter, CBI director of public services Dr Neil Bentley said: "Last year four times as many working hours were lost because of visits to the doctor as were lost to industrial action because staff had no choice but to visit their surgery during office hours."
"The government is absolutely right to push for surgeries to offer opening times that suit people better."
The BMA has reacted angrily, however. Quoted by BBC News, GPC chairman Laurence Buckman said that he thought the government was trying to 'soften up' patients in preparation for more significant changes.
"Patients are being prepared to view their GP as not very good and not very willing and not very flexible," he said, "and as a result to look kindly on the government's currently favoured model which is that patients should receive general practice from polyclinics."
- 5th January 2009 Businesses urged to make redundancies 'last resort'
- 5th January 2009 'Cut interest rate to 1%' says business group
- 2nd January 2009 Gloomier forecast from business group
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon