At the end of March, the British Medical Association (BMA) launched a new campaign ‘Rebuild General Practice’, highlighting familiar issues of recruitment, retention and patient safety (http://rebuildgp.co.uk). After the 2015 junior doctor's dispute with former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, which led to the first general strike across the NHS in 40 years, it was a surprise to see Mr Hunt on stage at the launch event as a supporter of the campaign. The former foes have put their differences aside to highlight the crisis engulfing general practice.
Let us not forget that Mr Hunt was health secretary for the General Practice Forward View (GPFV) – the 2016 plan which aimed to provide 5000 extra GPs by 2020 (NHS England, 2016). Rebuild General Practice states that there are currently 1608 fewer fully qualified full time GPs than in 2015 – which implies the GPFV did not meet its objectives. While, naturally, the BMA are focussing on the doctor side of general practice, what about the nurses? While general practice is on the agenda, we need nursing leaders to speak up for general practice nurses and the issues affecting them.
It's all well and good for professional bodies to campaign on these important issues to raise awareness, but ultimately it isn't up to them to fix these deep-rooted problems. Rebuild General Practice want a GP workforce plan, but we urgently need a properly funded NHS-wide workforce plan and this can only be done by the NHS in conjunction with the health secretary and the Department of Health and Social Care.
While Mr Hunt may seem an odd choice for the BMA to team up with, he has been vocal about the need for a workforce plan during his time as chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee. Although some may say it is unfortunate he didn't manage to deliver this when he had the power to do so.
Patient safety is a key point Rebuild General Practice are making, highlighting growing patient demands. It is worth remembering though, that some populations are underserved and certain groups may have been avoiding general practice due to worries around contracting COVID-19. Our sibling publication NRC is included with this issue as there is a focus on caring for the older person. The article on venous leg ulcers states that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing these ulcers, which may have been exacerbated by the lockdowns and restrictions. Another article focuses on how to support older people with eczema and psoriasis to manage these conditions and reduce the risks of complications, which may have gotten worse if they have been reluctant to visit general practice. We hope you enjoy the bonus edition.
‘Practice Nursing provides nurses working in general practice with the tools to reach their full potential and deliver the best possible care to their patients. Our monthly journal informs and inspires by providing up-to-date, evidence-based clinical articles, highlighting key professional issues and promoting the latest research in general practice.’