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| Give control to GPs, Tories urge | Give control to GPs, Tories urge |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Responsibility for out-of-hours health services should be transferred back to GPs, the Conservative Party has said. | Responsibility for out-of-hours health services should be transferred back to GPs, the Conservative Party has said. |
| Tory proposals also include a national number for accessing non-emergency health services outside working hours. | Tory proposals also include a national number for accessing non-emergency health services outside working hours. |
| Conservative leader David Cameron said the government's decision to allow GPs to opt out of out-of-hours care had reduced access for patients. | Conservative leader David Cameron said the government's decision to allow GPs to opt out of out-of-hours care had reduced access for patients. |
| But doctors' leaders said the move was not to blame for poor out-of-hours care and the Tory plans were ill-informed. | But doctors' leaders said the move was not to blame for poor out-of-hours care and the Tory plans were ill-informed. |
| The Conservatives said they were not planning to force GPs to work out-of-hours or to work extended hours. | The Conservatives said they were not planning to force GPs to work out-of-hours or to work extended hours. |
| The new GP contract is improving health outcomes for patients and in the long term will save the NHS money as fewer people will need admission to hospital because of a long term condition Dr Laurence Buckman | The new GP contract is improving health outcomes for patients and in the long term will save the NHS money as fewer people will need admission to hospital because of a long term condition Dr Laurence Buckman |
| But, in launching its new health policy, the party said that GPs should hold the budgets to commission out-of-hours services. | But, in launching its new health policy, the party said that GPs should hold the budgets to commission out-of-hours services. |
| Currently, the responsibility for out-of-hours care is held by primary care trusts but many have been unable to afford to commission access to GPs at weekends and during evenings because they have struggled with their deficits, the party said. | Currently, the responsibility for out-of-hours care is held by primary care trusts but many have been unable to afford to commission access to GPs at weekends and during evenings because they have struggled with their deficits, the party said. |
| GPs should receive incentives in the contract for GPs to do extended hours if there patients want the services, the proposals state. | GPs should receive incentives in the contract for GPs to do extended hours if there patients want the services, the proposals state. |
| Patient-centred | Patient-centred |
| The NHS should also be more accountable to patients, the Conservatives said at the launch of the new policy in advance of the Party Conference in Blackpool. | The NHS should also be more accountable to patients, the Conservatives said at the launch of the new policy in advance of the Party Conference in Blackpool. |
| Patients should be allowed to choose a GP - whether close to home or work, they said. And urgent care should be simplified with a 999 phone number for emergencies, or 116 116 for all other healthcare such as A&E, out-of-hours and walk-in centres. Patients should also have genuine choice in childbirth and smaller obstetric units should be safeguarded. | Patients should be allowed to choose a GP - whether close to home or work, they said. And urgent care should be simplified with a 999 phone number for emergencies, or 116 116 for all other healthcare such as A&E, out-of-hours and walk-in centres. Patients should also have genuine choice in childbirth and smaller obstetric units should be safeguarded. |
| Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said GPs themselves wanted a change in the contract. | |
| "They're unhappy because they don't have control of the service that they provide to their patients," he said. | |
| "And that's what we want to give them - we want to give them control of budgets which must include the out of hours budget." | |
| The British Medical Association reacted angrily to the proposals, saying politicians were trying to outdo each other on ill-informed policies. | The British Medical Association reacted angrily to the proposals, saying politicians were trying to outdo each other on ill-informed policies. |
| 'No credibility' | |
| Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GPs Committee, added: "It is sad that the Conservatives have failed to understand why we needed a new GP contract. | Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GPs Committee, added: "It is sad that the Conservatives have failed to understand why we needed a new GP contract. |
| "All sides recognised that the UK had too few family doctors. | "All sides recognised that the UK had too few family doctors. |
| "Recruitment was at an-all time low, and doctors were thinking of taking early retirement because of the unsustainable workload." | "Recruitment was at an-all time low, and doctors were thinking of taking early retirement because of the unsustainable workload." |
| "The new GP contract is improving health outcomes for patients and in the long term will save the NHS money as fewer people will need admission to hospital because of a long term condition." | "The new GP contract is improving health outcomes for patients and in the long term will save the NHS money as fewer people will need admission to hospital because of a long term condition." |
| He said PCTs needed to fund the existing providers properly instead of trying to cut budgets or find even cheaper private companies to run the service. | He said PCTs needed to fund the existing providers properly instead of trying to cut budgets or find even cheaper private companies to run the service. |
| Ben Bradshaw, Labour's health minister, said: "The Tories are desperately playing catch-up on this issue, and their plans can have no credibility when, at the same time, they are proposing £21 billion of unfunded tax cuts that would inevitably mean massive cuts to the NHS." | Ben Bradshaw, Labour's health minister, said: "The Tories are desperately playing catch-up on this issue, and their plans can have no credibility when, at the same time, they are proposing £21 billion of unfunded tax cuts that would inevitably mean massive cuts to the NHS." |