By Vivienne Russell | 20 May 2013
The growing ‘fire-storm’ over hospital accident and emergency admissions is damaging GP morale and could result in them focusing less on their local commissioning role, NHS Clinical Commissioners has warned.
The body, which speaks for Clinical Commissioning Groups, said GP morale was fundamental to the effective operation of CCGs. Dr Steve Kell, co-chair of its leadership group and chair of Bassetlaw CCG, said GPs' workloads were already at ‘breaking point’ and they were ‘ready to buckle under the strain’.
He highlighted the controversy over A&E admissions. Both the Care Quality Commission and foundation trusts recently warned that hospitals were struggling with huge increases in the number of people coming into A&E departments for treatment. Changes to the GP contract, which allowed family doctors to opt out of providing out-of-hours care, have been cited as a possible reason for the increase in emergency admissions.
But Kell said: ‘There is little doubt that a fire-storm has been whipped up over what is happening in accident and emergency departments, with primary care provision, the GP contract and out-of-hours care being dragged into the mix.
‘If GPs are feeling squashed by their workload they are going to be fair less able and willing to then engage on top of that with the commissioning agenda. CCGs need the foundations of strong general practice upon which to build.’
Kell added: ‘It is evident that pressure in the GP surgery and pressure in A&E departments are manifestations of pressures throughout the whole system.
‘CCGs are best placed to lead on developing local solutions for local circumstances. However, we do believe the solutions for the current problems have to be ones for the system as a whole.’
He urged national bodies representing commissioners and providers to work with NHSCC to identify solutions that could be implemented by CCGs.
