Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Rejected
Paragraph: 62
Need to encourage locum GPs back into regular employment with flexible patterns.
Conclusion
As part of ongoing efforts to improve the retention of GPs, NHS England should include a specific focus on encouraging locum GPs back into regular employment by supporting GP practices to offer more flexible working patterns.
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that continuity should be balanced with other PCN expectations, and PCNs should be empowered to make their own workforce decisions rather than having top-down requirements.
Paragraph Reference:
62
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Do not accept. The Department does not accept this recommendation. Whilst we believe continuity is an important element of care, we believe that it should be considered alongside other expectations of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) such as improving access, addressing inequalities, and delivery of new services like structured medication reviews. Furthermore, we think the right approach is empowering PCNs to make decisions about their workforce, instead of adding more top-down bureaucratic requirements. Funding is provided for leadership and management in the current PCN package, and PCNs can appoint their own continuity leads and allocate this responsibility to a specific staff member if they think this will provide a better service for their patients. Supporting the diversification of the general practice workforce and establishing multi- disciplinary teams through the ARRS will support continuity for patients, as effective multi-disciplinary teams can provide team-based continuity of care. NHS England will continue to work with Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Health Foundation on the continuity toolkit (which provides a more holistic approach to make continuity a practice team effort), how to promote and share best practice, and consider how receptionist training (paragraph 48) could support of continuity of care. As stated in recommendations 14 and 15, the 2023/24 Contract promotes the use of the RCGP’s Continuity of Care toolkit via the Quality and Outcomes Framework Quality Improvement module on Optimising Demand and Capacity management in general practice.