Patients' No.1 priority: better access to GPs

Earlier this Summer I launched a survey seeking your views on the NHS at 60 and received lots of really useful replies. Now. the Conservatives are doing the same.

I'm all for that, except that the Tory survey isn't genuinely seeking views on improving the NHS but rather trying to steer people towards opposing more convenient GP opening hours, which the Conservatives are against.

The Conservatives (and, unfortunately, the British Medical Association), are guilty of a great deal of misinformation about extended GP opening hours and Labour's polyclinics plan, which was drawn up by one of the most experienced surgeons in the NHS, Dr Ara Darzi. So here's a short Q & A on Labour's plans for a better NHS in London.

Why is GP extended opening a priority for the Government?

The first national GP patient survey last year showed that there are around six and a half million patients who are unhappy with their GP practice's opening hours. The latest national GP patient survey showed even more patients unhappy with their practices opening times.

These patients would find it easier to access services if they could make appointments at the weekend, in the evening or early in the morning. The survey found this to be particularly true for young working men.

Our overriding objective is to deliver the best possible service to patients. People want health that is more personalised and convenient, so primary care services need to adapt to respond to this need.

Evening and weekend opening is unnecessary and expensive.

No it isn't. Extended opening hours are being paid for by re-using existing payments for GP practices, not from new investment. Labour is responding to what patients have asked for. We have heard what patients said and are doing something about it.

Some patients - the elderly and families - will miss out on daytime surgeries.

The BMA's claim that patients who want to see their GP during the day will miss out is simply wrong. This is about extending GPs' opening hours, not substituting evening or weekend opening for daytime appointments. More capacity, more accessibility, more responsive and convenient services.

How will this affect me?

Wandsworth NHS will agree with GP practices locally the precise arrangements, but we expect to see at least half of GP practices offer extended opening hours this year, with an average of three extra hours per practice. Each practice's opening hours will be based on its patients' views on whether it is more important for them to have more evening or weekend surgeries.

What if a GP practice refuses to extend its hours?

Labour has already announced investment of £250 million in over 150 new health centres across the country that will offer all patients (regardless of where they are registered) access to GP services 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. All patients will also continue to have access to out-of-hours GP services for urgent care.

The £250 million means more GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals, more appointments, and longer and more convenient opening hours. This is about investing more in primary care, which is vital if we are to meet the public health challenges before us and improving the quality and accessibility of services for the people who pay for them

What is a GP Led Health Centre?

The basic guiding principle behind GP led health centres is to provide extra access to GP services. The Labour Government has set a small number of core criteria that we expect Wandsworth NHS to include in these services to ensure some uniformity across the country:

• easily accessible locations;
• open 8am-8pm, 7 days a week;
• provide access to bookable GP appointments and walk-in services; and
• open to any member of the public

These GP led health centres will consist of approximately 5 GPs as opposed to the 25 as has been claimed. Many local NHS Trusts are looking to provide other services in these health centres, such as diagnostics or pharmacy services.

What is a Polyclinic?

The NHS in London has developed its own proposals to address deep-rooted challenges of public health and primary care. This includes proposals for 'polyclinic' service models that bring together a range of primary care services, specialist services, urgent care services and social care in one place, or a cluster of convenient nearby surgeries.

What's Labour's record on the NHS?

We have put substantial additional investment into general practice. Funding for GP services has more than doubled since we were elected: from £3bn in 1997 to £7.86bn in 2007.

There has been an increase in the number of GPs from 28,046 in 1997 to 33,364 in 2007. In addition, more GPs are choosing to continue working after retirement age.

Since 1997, the average number of hours worked by GPs has reduced by 17% while the average GP has seen a significant increase in pay (22% between 2002/03 and 2005/06)

And we are responding to patients' number 1 demand to visit their GP at more convenient times