Reforms that steered GPs into part-time work

SIR – GPs used to be treated as professionals and allowed to organise their own work.

This changed when Tony Blair’s government introduced performancerelated pay. Most GPs met the various targets and received a large increase in their salary. It was obvious to me at the time that these increases would be unsustainable. More importantly, it meant that GPs were working for the government rather than their patients. A lot of time was now spent collecting data. There was less time for ongoing education: our practice had to abandon its regular clinical presentations with a neighbouring practice.

Until 2004, GPs had 24-hour responsibility for their patients. This obligation was removed by the Blair government. Most GPs opted out of “out-of-hours” care, which was valued at £5,000 a year. Within days doctors from Europe and elsewhere were flying in to do night shifts. In our area the payment for a shift from midnight to 8am was £800. We now have more doctors than ever, but most GPs work part-time owing to the intense pressure of the job. Finnbarr O’Driscoll

Morpeth, Northumberland

SIR – Sadly, the consequence of a move to end home visits from GPs (Letters, December 1) will be a sharp increase in the use of the emergency services when the sick deem themselves to be too ill to go to a surgery. David Abell

Christchurch, New Zealand

SIR – While living in North Yorkshire, I fell ill with a stomach bug and my wife called the local doctor.

The surgery informed her that he had broken his leg, but would still be coming to see me. He arrived driven by his wife and had to negotiate the stairs to our bedroom with his leg in plaster. That is what I call going beyond the call of duty. Mike Robinson

Deddington, Oxfordshire