retention.” Health secretary Jeremy Hunt recently


stated that his department would be taking a more “flexible” approach to his pre-election pledge to create an additional 5,000 new GPs by 2020. This number would, according to a Pulse news article in June 2015, “include flexibility for other primary care staff, such as practice nurses and physician associates, to boost numbers due to recruitment problems in some parts of England.” Another Pulse report the following month


suggested as many as half of GP training places could remain unfilled this year in some of the worst-hit areas of England, with vacancies in Scotland of around 20 per cent. Recruitment issues extend beyond trainee posts. In Scotland, it was reported recently that a number of GP surgeries were being supported by health boards due to difficulties in service delivery caused by staff shortages.


Hi-tech solutions But perhaps better use of technology is the answer? This could also help facilitate another


of the PCWC’s visions – a future where GPs enjoy longer patient consultation times. The report regards as “outdated” the fact


that practices are unable to email/message hospital specialists, adding: “While this may need protected time in the working day, there are significant potential cost savings in terms of reduced referrals to hospital.” The PCWC also believes it will soon “appear


outdated” that, unlike countries such as Denmark, doctors and patients do not routinely communicate by email. If five per cent of GP consultations could be dealt with by email, the report says, this would save 17 million face-to-face consultations a year. This in turn could allow for longer consultation times. The report says: “Care needs to be less episodic and reactive, and focus more on supporting patients to look after their own conditions. This takes time and a 10-minute consultation is inadequate for many of the people attending a general practice.” The PCWC notes that many practices offer


15-minute appointments which “helps them deal with people’s problems more effectively.”


The report goes on to suggest that:


“Alternative approaches that reduce the need for face-to-face consultations should be evaluated, including phone and email consultations with patients.” But it concedes: “We do not know to what extent emails from patients would generate additional demand”, and again recommends pilot schemes. Exactly how primary care will look in the


future remains to be seen, but the PCWC takes an optimistic view, concluding: “Much of what we recommend can be achieved rapidly, though other changes will take time, especially those that require cultural change and the development of relationships across organisational boundaries. “However, with a highly skilled workforce,


effective multi-disciplinary teams and well-developed IT systems, we believe that the NHS is in an unparalleled position to develop a modern primary healthcare system that is truly world class.”


Joanne Curran is an associate editor at MDDUS


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