EAST NORWICH MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP – SUPPORTING THE CALL FOR GP COLLECTIVE ACTION
General Practice is collapsing. Every practice across England is struggling to keep its doors open.
We value our patients. We know that most patients value us too, especially when you need us regularly. You know we can deal with most of your health problems, keep you out of hospital, and have your best interests at heart.
Your GP is an expert in general medical practice – all of us have received over 10 years of training (which we have to keep updated) to deal with complex problems, spot serious symptoms, and decide when you need specialist help at the hospital.
But did you know that we receive just £107.57 per year for each patient registered with us, whatever your health needs. That’s less than the cost of an annual TV licence.
We believe general practice deserves a bigger slice of NHS funding so we can train and hire more GPs, deliver the services you require and make it easier for you and your loved ones to get appointments to see a GP and practice team.
GPs want the same things that you do. We believe nobody should struggle to see their family doctor.
General Practice should be as it once was – a familiar family doctor, offering continuity of care in a surgery full of friendly familiar faces within a safe building where you knew you would get the care you needed.
OUR GP’S ARE NOT GOING ON STRIKE – WE ARE RESPONDING WITH COLLECTIVE ACTION
Our GPs are NOT going on strike and we will remain open as usual.
There is no proposed action that will create a breach of our contracts.
During collective action, GP practices are still required to:
- Make appointments available – WHEN OUR DAILY CAPACITY IS FULL A MESSAGE WILL BE PLACED ON OUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM
- Provide advice or care to patients by another means
- Give advice on alternative services
- Provide access to prescriptions, long-term condition management, vaccinations, diagnoses and referral (including where clinically urgent)
Our GP’s and our teams want our patients to experience safe, high quality and sustainable care. This is becoming more difficult without appropriate funding.
Less than 10% of the total NHS funding is allocated to primary care (general practice) and this is a decreasing percentage, with increasing workload.
More than 90% of NHS work is done in primary care and this is an increasing percentage.
WHY IS COLLECTIVE ACTION HAPPENING?
General Practice funding is less than £108 per patient per year, this equates to at most 2-3 contacts per year per patient, compared to the cost of an outpatient appointment estimated to start at £130-£400, there is something about demand and reasonable expectation.
The £108 per patient, is to run practice premises and employ staff. This is not enough for GP’s to employ enough staff to give patients the care they deserve. The financial situation is unsustainable, with many Practices having to shut, because they cannot afford to keep going – 60 practices closed in 2023 alone. In June 2024 there were 1694 less Fulltime Equivalent GP’s than in 2015. In June 2024 there were 478 less GP partners than in June 2023.
WHAT HAVE GP’S AGREED TO DO AS COLLECTIVE ACTION?
- GP surgeries will remain open for all their normal core working hours – we will remain open as normal
- Number of contacts – We have agreed to see OVER the recommended safe number, of contacts per day. However, once our maximum capacity has been reached other requests will be diverted to local urgent care settings
- Our GP’s are not going to carry out work that they are not contracted to do.
- Our GP’s will not complete unnecessary forms and templates as part of referrals but will still provide all the necessary information that is required to ensure all patients are referred when it is needed for their health problem.
WHERE ELSE CAN I GET MEDICAL ADVICE?
Patients may be directed to other local services, which may include:
NORWICH WALK IN CENTRE
The Walk in Centre in available at:
Rouen House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RB. Tel. No 01603 677500
NHS 111
As always, patients can also use 111 online for health needs
999
Only use 999 in a serious or life-threatening emergency.
More information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E is available via the NHS website.
PHARMACY FIRST SCHEME
Remember that local pharmacies may also be able to offer treatment and prescription medicine for some conditions, without you needing to see a GP.
Conditions that pharmacists can treat as part of the Pharmacy First Scheme are:
- earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
- infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
- shingles (aged 18 years and over)
- sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
- sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
- urinary tract infections or UTIs (women aged 16 to 64 years)
Please support us to support you. Please write to our local MP in support of additional funding for general practice:
Alice Macdonald MP (Norwich North)
Parliamentary Office
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0A