New GP contract in Wales aims to end ‘morning scramble’
THE Welsh Government has announced changes to the GP contract in a bid to improve access to appointments.
The revised contract for 2021-22, which is backed by £12m of extra investment, vows to end the “morning scramble” to book an appointment – making it clear that releasing them daily at 8am is no longer acceptable.
Instead, the new GP access commitment aims to ensure people are triaged appropriately and if an appointment is needed, people receive one which is right for their clinical needs. Where appropriate, people may be signposted to another service or healthcare professional who can help or support them.
The new General Medical Services (GMS) contract deal will also include a 3% uplift to pay for GPS and practice staff and extra funding to increase capacity and staffing to respond to winter pressures.
While the British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed the contractual agreement, which it hopes will go “some way to support practices under great duress”, it said linking the pay award to contractual change was “inappropriate”.
Commenting on the new contract, Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: “We know GPS and their staff are under significant pressure at the moment. They have played a really important role during the pandemic. I am very pleased we have been able to agree a new contract which rewards all staff working in general practice with a pay rise. We have also agreed a way forward to improve the appointment system. I want to see an end to the 8am bottleneck where patients have to telephone their practice numerous times, day after day, to get an appointment.
“The extra funding announced today will support GP practices to build capacity and implement more efficient booking systems to better manage patient need. I have also announced an extra £2m to help meet the immediate pressures our GPS will face this winter.”
The Welsh Government added that an extra £4m will be made available to GPS for the next three financial years to ensure the retention of the additional capacity and to support the commitment regarding access to services.
Ms Morgan added: “We are doing all we can to support our hardworking GPS and I would urge the public to ‘help us help you’ by considering the other ways they can get medical advice and support this winter. The 111 online service and your local pharmacy can provide advice on non-urgent illnesses.”
Nick Wood, executive director of primary, community and mental health services at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “The 3% pay uplift for all GPS and practice staff shows our commitment to supporting the workforce and the sustainability of the services they deliver. The wider agreements, including a joint commitment to improve access to services and the investment into staffing capacity, will enable health boards to work closely with general practice to build and improve the service.”
However Dr Phil White, chair of the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) Wales, described linking the pay award to contractual change as “inappropriate”.
“The investment in capacity will go some way to alleviating current pressures and is a welcome acknowledgement of the deficit GPS face in manpower to deliver the services they would wish to,” he said. “There are also welcome commitments which will ensure practices have the breathing space to develop and train their teams to better recognise patient needs.
“GPS and their teams want to provide the very best access they can for patients – often working way beyond their contracts to do so – but it is crucial that patients understand the pressures facing the profession and what the existing workforce can realistically deliver.
“Put simply, there are not enough GPS working in primary care to manage current levels of demand . ... We believe that the Welsh Government understands the existential challenge GP practices face, and we are committed to continuing to work together to ensure that patients can access a better resourced General Practice service in the future.”