NHS reforms may fail without greater GP investment, college warns

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By Storm Newton, Press Association

The aim of governments across the UK to move more care from hospitals into the community and prevent more illnesses may fail without greater investment in general practice, a report has warned.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) said the sector is “facing significant and sustained pressure” because of “long-term rising service demands” workforce issues and “major system-wide change”.

Its report highlights that governments in all four nations have ambitions to change how care is delivered, but said “investment has not kept pace”.

The college is calling for action to tackle workload pressures, improve digital infrastructure and greater investment for general practice.

The report has been published ahead of the RCGP annual congress, which begins in Glasgow on Thursday and the Budget.

It draws on a recent college survey of more than 1,500 of its members which found only around a third (36%) feel they have the time to build patient relationships during appointments, while seven in 10 reported not having the time to offer preventative advice.