Years of underfunding and neglect has left general practice in crisis. The future of General Practice is at stake.
The following report written by our Local Medical Committee (LMC) highlights serious concerns about the issues facing general practice.
You can help make a difference! Get involved by reading, sharing and talking to your local MPs about the contents of this report. If action and serious attention is not given to this pressing issue, there is a very real possibility of mass practice closures and patients finding that access to a GP will worsen significantly.
Report: The Financial Challenge facing Practices in Lancashire & Cumbria
The LMC recently carried out a survey asking GP Partners and Practice Managers about the current financial challenges facing their practice. We provided a key for a financial RAG (Red Amber Green) rating and asked practices to anonymously rate themselves accordingly. This formed the basis of our ‘Financial Barometer’. Due to its alarming findings, the report has been written and compiled with two goals in mind: to inform Members of Parliament, NHS Commissioners and other stakeholders while also functioning as an easily readable narrative for the general public.
We achieved a great overall response rate, where over 84 percent of our member practices responded to the survey. The responses and results highlight several serious concerns about the issues facing general practice locally and there is definite cause for concern. The future of General Practice, collectively and individually, is at stake. If action and serious attention is not given to this pressing issue, there is a very real possibility of mass practice closures and patients finding that access to a GP will worsen significantly. In the report, we make a number of recommendations to address some of the most pressing issues.
You can read the full report here. The executive summary can also be found here. Thank you to everyone who contributed, we are very grateful for your input and support. A big thank you to our hardworking and dedicated General Practice colleagues who took the time to help us with completing the survey. Please share this report far and wide.
If you have any comments or enquiries about the report and its contents, please email us at [email protected]
