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Half of GP surgeries ‘unfit for purpose’
H
alf of all primary care facilities are unfit for purpose, according to worrying research from The
British Medical Association (BMA). The country’s leading medics are
calling on the Government to increase capital funding, or make changes to current funding mechanisms, after a survey of 1,011 doctors and primary care managers revealed that 50% do not think their surgeries are suitable for present needs. And 78% said their practices would
not be able to handle expected future demands, such as population growth and an increase in the prevalence of long-term conditions. BMA GP committee chairman, Dr
Richard Vautrey, warns: “GPs have been telling us for years that their practice buildings are not up to scratch and now we have evidence showing just how serious the situation is. “Despite their best efforts, GPs and
their teams are ultimately limited by space and cannot meet the growing needs of their patients without an
urgent increase in capacity.” The survey results come shortly
before NHS England is expected to publish a review into GP practice premises. It will set out the scale of the problem
and, it is hoped, will be supported by additional funding. Dr Vautrey said: “The Government
must urgently invest in practice premises, as well as wider NHS infrastructure, to bring facilities up to 21st-century standards and ensure that GPs and their colleagues throughout the health service can guarantee the
best care, now and in the future.” The problem is prevalent across all
countries in the UK, with Ireland leading the way with plans to invest £30m over the next few years. BMA GP negotiator, Peter Holden,
said only ‘relatively-modest’ sums were needed to meet expectations, but called for a rethink of the way premises were funded currently. And BMA Scottish GP committee
chairman, Alan McDevitt, added: “The capital budget is being squeezed and new ways of getting funding for GP premises are urgently required.”
Pigeon crackdown following deaths The infection the patients were
believed to be suffering from is caused by inhaling the fungus, Crytococcus, which is primarily found in soil and pigeon droppings. A spokesman for the health board said
portable HEPA air filter units were being installed at the hospital as a precaution. And Dee Ward Thompson, technical
H
manager at the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) warned trusts it was a matter that ‘cannot be ignored’. She said: “To protect patients, visitors
ealthcare estates and facilities managers are being advised to implement ‘robust bird control
programmes’ following the deaths of two patients who contracted a fungal infection believed to be linked to pigeon droppings at a hospital in Glasgow. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has
launched an investigation after the deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
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healthcaredm.co.uk
and staff those in charge of a building’s maintenance should not overlook bird control as part of an effective onsite pest management programme.” There are two main solutions to the
problem, she added – proofing and dispersal. Proofing involves physically excluding the birds from the area to be protected, while dispersal creates a sense of danger in the affected area which causes the birds to leave.
NBC Environment has worked with a
number of hospital trusts to address the problem of pigeons, including Peterborough City Hospital, where a trapping programme was used to reduce the population before a major clean-up was undertaken and pigeon netting placed over plant machinery. This has significantly reduced the problem.
www.bpca.org.uk www.nbcenvironment.co.uk
Image: Claudia Meyer
Image: Lozba Paul
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