Prime minister’s seven day GP promise could lead to greater pressure on NHS

Fears over the practicality of David Cameron’s promise to ensure GPs become available seven days a week by 2020 has been expressed by research provider Nuffield Trust.

The Prime Minister has also promised to extend GP opening hours as a commitment to ensure people, especially those who are older, can have access to their GP instead of needing unnecessary trips to A&E.

Extended opening hours

New opening hours of 8am until 8pm have been proposed by Mr Cameron, who said in an interview with the BBC: “If you’re a frail and elderly person, A&E is not the right place for you. It’s a GP surgery or another care centre.”

A trial currently taking place offering seven day GP access will receive extra funding to be extended to cover 10m people and £300m will be allocated to fund a roll out to the rest of the country if the Conservatives remain in power after the General Election.

However the announcement has received criticism from the Nuffield Trust, who said it is a shame the Government did not wait to receive a full evaluation of the trial before committing to extend it throughout the whole country.

Nigel Edwards, chief executive at the Nuffield Trust said: “Although the Government hopes this initiative will reduce emergency admissions, evidence suggests longer hours may result in people with minor problems, who might not have gone to the NHS at all, using the service.

“Evidence that more care outside hospital can reduce pressure on hospital admissions is very thin.

Extreme Pressure

“Today’s announcement rightly recognizes that local leadership is the best way to improve out of hours care and make use of new technology for access to clinicians.

“But there is a danger that easier access to GPs will actually lead to greater pressures on the system, leaving fewer resources for the most vulnerable groups like frail older people.”

The chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee said the Government should be acting immediately to solve ‘extreme pressures’ currently facing GP practices instead of making ‘promises for tomorrow.’

Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “GPs naturally wish to improve access to patients. But this announcement does not address the current reality of what patients and GPs are facing; we need immediate solutions to the extreme pressures that GP practices are facing, with inadequate numbers of GPs and practice staff to manage increasing volume of patients, who are already having to wait too long for care.”