GPC launches consultation on how to improve GP services - 31 Mar 09

Source

The GPs Committee (GPC) of the BMA is calling on grassroots family doctors and patients to help shape future GP services. GP leaders today (Tuesday 31 March 2009) published a consultation to encourage debate among the profession and patients about what they like about their practice and where improvements could be made.

Introducing “Developing general practice, listening to patients” Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA’s GPs Committee, said:

• “This is an area where GPs and patients should be equal partners. Most practices are already very good at establishing what their patients need and provide a high-quality service, but improvements can always be made. With infinite resources it would be easy, but new funding is often constrained. There are, however, simple changes that can be made which can have a big impact on a patient’s experience.”

The document asks GPs and patients to get together to discuss aspects of service that could be improved and what, if anything, prevents them from making improvements. The GPC hopes to use the results of the consultation to inform discussions with UK governments.

Dr Buckman added:

• “We want to gather examples of good and innovative practice across all areas of service, such as how practices use telephony systems, their use of the internet for repeat prescription ordering or appointment booking, or how they have improved communication between practices and their patients. Ultimately we want to make sure general practice is as responsive to patients as it is possible to be.”

Notes:

• The full document can be accessed here: http://www.bma.org.uk/healthcare_policy/DevGP0309.jsp
• The consultation runs until 1 May 2009. Comments should be sent to: listeningtopatients@bma.org.uk

Support material - source
Developing general practice, listening to patients - patient, GP and stakeholder consultation - 30 Mar 09

The General Practitioners Committee (GPC) wants to learn more about the way in which practices respond to patient expectations at a local level and what barriers practices encounter that prevent them making appropriate changes. We hope that this will ultimately help inform our discussions with the UK governments.

Throughout April 2009 we will be consulting as many national patient groups as possible about their expectations of general practice and asking GPs for examples of how they have improved patient services in their own practices. Most importantly we will be encouraging GPs to engage with their own patients to find out what patients value or would like to see improved in their practices.

Please download the short consultation document on the right. We look forward to hearing from you by Friday 1 May 2009.

• PDF Copy - Developing general practice, listening to patients - March 2009

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