DAVID Cameron has just vowed that everyone in England will have access to GP services seven days a week by 2020.

However, the chairman of the Royal College of GPs, Dr Maureen Baker, recently stated that GP services are “under threat of extinction”. This is because of an increasing demand and workload coupled with funding cuts of £942m for General Practice budgets, and a GP recruitment and retention crisis with 451 unfilled training posts.

There are now 66.5 family doctors per 100,000 people in the UK, down from 70 in 2010. It is therefore not surprising that 500 practices are closing or under threat of closure, up to 50 million patients are predicted to be “turned away” from GP surgeries next year, and almost half of GPs say average waiting time for appointments will now exceed two weeks due to unprecedented workloads.

So, in short it appears that David Cameron’s NHS election strategy is to create a GP crisis in the country and then make some pie in the sky promises about increasing access to GP care.

I believe that the coalition will find out in May 2015 that they underestimate the intelligence of the electorate.

Dr Clive Peedell, Co-leader of the National Health Action Party (NHAP), NHAP Prospective parliamentary candidate for Witney

Today’s letters

 

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