Why is Sajid Javid picking a fight with GPs? The Health Secretary has announced a £250 million ‘winter access fund’ for practices to hire more staff – but only if they increase the number of face-to-face consultations. Practices that don’t increase access will be listed in a league table. It’s something many MPs say they get complaints about from constituents. But GPs are furious, saying they are seeing more patients while also trying to keep everyone safe. They’ve reported rising incidences of abuse against them from patients.
Doctors were grimly amused this morning when Javid decided he couldn’t see them face-to-face, either, pulling out of a planned appearance at the Royal College of GPs’ annual conference. His excuse was that he needed to ‘fight for the NHS in the spending review’. Instead, the conference heard from Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, who didn’t exactly back up the Health Secretary’s approach.
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