If you are angered by the Prime Minister’s statement over the weekend, I borrow from Cumbria LMC’s recent thank you letter to constituents:
You are the most valued and valuable NHS asset and London’s NHS would fall over within days without you. Threats and bullying on such a scale and of such gravity as occurred in the media over the entire weekend are sickening. To blame an overburdened, struggling and understaffed workforce for the failings of a system is shameful.
It is in this context then, and as an alternative to what you may have seen from our national bodies, that you might find some comfort, or even a feeling of schadenfreude from some of Michelle’s Top Ten:
Watch this from 15 mins 10 secs in. It isn’t long, but it’s significant: Simon Stevens, CEO of NHS England, appearing in Parliament at the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday – the trigger for the Prime Minister’s diversionary tactic to blame GPs for the demand at A&E?
After an arranged visit to one of our London practices, the Leader of the opposition gets it – watch from 45 mins 25 secs in.
As recently as November 2016, The House of Commons Library Report told the true story in Accident and Emergency Statistics: Demand, Performance and Pressure. Look at Page 11. My colleague Dr Susie Bayley asks on Twitter: “Shouldn’t ED (That’s A&E or Casualty) be busiest when GPs are closed? – Clue: they aren’t.“
The GP State Of Emergency is still in effect. Here’s the link to the resources: https://gpsoe.org.uk/gpsoe. And if you have any comments, or need help and support, please ping me at [email protected]. Remember, our expert GP Support team at Londonwide LMCs is here to help you through.
But words are not enough. Action is needed. This Thursday we shall see what the GPC National Executive Team has to say. As a regular elected member of the wider GPC I shall not be silent, unless you tell me otherwise.
Best wishes,
Michelle
Dr Michelle Drage FRCGP
Chief Executive, Londonwide LMCs
As ever – Please do let me have any views on these issues or others at [email protected].