Newsletter August 2024

What happens next?

I am writing next months newsletter just after the election results and with a new government elected. We say ‘farewell’ to Sir Mark Spencer and ‘hello’ to Michelle Welsh as the new MP representing our patients. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Mark who visited the surgery on a number of occasions (including 2 weeks before the election) and was always very supportive. Michelle had hoped to come in also but got side-tracked by a shadow minister so we hope she will come in to meet us soon.

Of course, the problems of the health service are still there to be tackled. From a GP perspective we would welcome more funding for community services. We believe that all our patients should have ready access to a GP which at present is challenging. Currently the practice receives £107.57 per patient per year whatever their health needs; that’s about 30p a day and in our view does not reflect the complex needs now of many of our patients. Practices locally are closing their doors and GP numbers are falling. This is not sustainable and needs to be urgently addressed. As I have previously written, we are in the crazy situation that what money is being allocated (via PCNs or Primary Care Networks) specifically can’t be spent on GPs or Practice nurses. This seems pretty bonkers!

We want to offer what you want – the ability to see a GP, ideally familiar to you (as continuity of care is extremely important for many of our patients) and with a full complement of other staff, practice nurses etc, who play such an important part now in managing stable but chronic diseases. All the evidence shows that investing in community services pays dividends, keeps patients out of hospitals (where they usually don’t want to be) and in fact saves the NHS money. But we are told – ‘there is no money’ which is of course the challenge. Locally our ICB (integrated care board – which covers all the local health services) is severely overspent. None of the political parties were committing enough funds for services to stand still let alone improve and so some changes or even cuts seem inevitable without a change of heart. Already we have seen the local community-based Fracture Liaison Service (run out of the East Bridgford surgery axed). I fear other services could face a similar fate.

However, despite these challenges, we as a practice feel in a robust position. Our building refurbishment and expansion means that we have the space to cope with more staff if available and we can recruit excellent candidates when we advertise. We are confident that we will be able to continue to provide excellent care to our growing local population so long as that funding is made available.

Phil Rayner