Rural GPs discuss their challenges
A meeting with the Minister for GPS and healthcare leaders from nine West Sussex GP surgeries was hosted by Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith.
The meeting on Thursday featured a positive discussion around the role of rural pharmacies, challenges facing GP surgeries in increasing staffinglevels,andthechanges the Government is making around the organisation of local healthcare.
Maria Caulfield MP, the Minister for Patient Safety and Primary Care, made it clear the Government is looking closely at what can be done to give local healthcare professionals more freedom over how their funding is spent on protecting the most vulnerable patients in the community.
She also highlighted the Government’s commitment to protecting current staff in local healthcare in addition to recruiting more doctors and nurses.
All attendees of the meeting, including Mr Griffith and the Minister, recognised the importance of supporting local healthcare providers following the two challenging years that GPs and nurses have faced.
Andrew Griffith MP said he was pleased to bring together rural West Sussex healthcare practitioners: “It was clear to me following a healthy discussion around the issues facing general practice that the Minister was listening to the feedback from those with first-hand experience on how to support our frontline GPs deliver better rural healthcare.”