Let GPs become employees of the NHS, report says

A REPORT has called for England’s general practitioners to become salaried employees of the NHS in a radical overhaul of the system which has been in place for more than 70 years.

The move would overturn the historic model that has been in place since 1948, with GPs working as independent contractors, known as partners, who run their own practices.

Researchers from the IPPR think-tank argue this shift, to be phased in, would enable the NHS to deliver better access to and quality of primary care in the community.

It would also help to address the workforce crisis in general practice, they say.

The report argues this will be crucial to delivering some of the Government’s manifesto priorities. These include delivering 50 million more GP appointments a year in England, raising GP numbers by the equivalent of 6,000 full-time doctors, and boosting morale among staff through more training and support.

The report argues the workforce crisis in primary care in England is deeper than is generally understood. The population is ageing, with those over 65 and likely to have more complex health needs now outnumbering those under 16 for the first time in recent history. Yet the number of GPs per 100,000 people is now at its lowest since 2003.

IPPR Senior Research Fellow and report co-author, Harry Quilter-Pinner, said: “Since 1948 GPs have been small, local, private contractors. But this model is no longer working.

“We need to join up primary, community and mental health care in new ‘Neighbourhood Hubs’ and give patients access to the best care when they need it most. This requires us to finally welcome GPs fully into the NHS family through a new right to direct NHS employment.”