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Specialist Gp Status

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thelewisgang | 18:43 Tue 22nd Apr 2014 | Body & Soul
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Is a GP who signs himself as a "Specialist GP" be allowed to operate?
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Depends what it is. Many GPs specialise in particular conditions these days, so other GPs will refer into them. Many GPs are also now licensed to undertake procedures such as minor surgery, but they have to be registered with their Clinical Commissioning Group as a provider of such services, they can't just do it, and again, other GP practices will refer...
19:24 Tue 22nd Apr 2014
when you say operate do you mean perform surgery?
Some can so some kinds of minor surgery if they are suitably qualified and experienced.
That's going to depend on what the GP's speciality is and what the operation is.
Minor surgery (lumps and bumps) under local anaesthesia in the surgery premises.

he is not allowed to perform surgery of any kind in the hospital environment.
Question Author
thanks. yes black_cat 51 I do mean perform surgery. How do I find out if he/she is "suitably qualified". Is there some sort of register?
Depends what it is. Many GPs specialise in particular conditions these days, so other GPs will refer into them. Many GPs are also now licensed to undertake procedures such as minor surgery, but they have to be registered with their Clinical Commissioning Group as a provider of such services, they can't just do it, and again, other GP practices will refer their patients to them for those procedures. They have to have special provision in their premises for such operations to take place.

You would be able to check with your CCG to see if this particular GP is approved to undertake those procedures.

When I had my hysterectomy in 1993, my own GP was part of the team under the consultant surgeon. I don't know if that would still be acceptable!

Certainly minor procedures can be undertaken in approved GP practices by appropriately-trained GPs.
Question Author
thank you! x
Boxtops - is there a Scottish version of the CCG ?
\\\\Certainly minor procedures can be undertaken in approved GP practices by appropriately-trained GPs.\\\

This is total nonsense, a situation developed over the years to "pander " to GP's who have never made the grade in a hospital career.

They are three components to healthcare 1) GP's 2 )hospital Specialists 3 Nursing Staff and each one has "blurred" the boundaries over the last 2 to 3 decades.

The result in my opinion is a dilution of standard of care in the UK which is nor seen in other countries.

GP's are just that "General" practitioners and their main function is to filter out patients that need investigation and Specialist management.
This they are failing to do and is reflected in the poor survival rates of cancer compared to other European countries.

If you need surgery...then you see a qualified surgeon and the only place for that is in a hospital, not in a General practice.
If you have a skin problem, one sees a Dermatologist.

It is a simple concept.

More money needs diverting from General practice into the hospital service and GP's should do what they are paid to do......general practice.

The term "Specialist GP" is a nonsense and is meaningless.
It may be anathema to you, sqad, but it's what's happening here at the moment. GPs who want to offer the service are appropriately trained to undertake minor surgery procedures, and practice nurses and HCAs can also be trained at appropriate levels to assist with minor surgery (not to deliver it!) - and it takes place in certain larger GP surgeries where they have approved facilities to do so, thus releasing pressure on the acute sector for minor procedures. GPs with special interest in certain conditions (e.g. diabetes, COPD) are in several surgeries and other practices can refer into them - these practices often also have a specialist nurse or a nurse practitioner with additional specific training to run nurse-led clinics.

The whole drift of the current NHS, as I know you know, is to move healthcare for those who don't need acute services out into primary care - this is the direction of travel for the last two or three years.

Quite how the GP practices, with only around 9% of the total NHS funding, are supposed to manage all this, is the subject of a completely different ongoing conversation.

It's derogatory to say that GPs who take on these services are those who never made it into a hospital career. The GPs I know never wanted to work in the acute sector, they like the GP practice role, working in the community - you make them sound like a load of second-raters.

I for one was pleased to have to wait only 4 weeks to see my local area's minor surgery GP when I needed treatment, rather than having to wait 18 weeks or longer for a routine hospital appointment. There is no need for everything to be performed on hospital premises if there are adequate facilities in primary care.
boxy

\\\It's derogatory to say that GPs who take on these services are those who never made it into a hospital career. The GPs I know never wanted to work in the acute sector, they like the GP practice role, working in the community - you make them sound like a load of second-raters. \\\

I have never said that.......I have respect for GP's who intended to go into Gp from the start.

\\\\a situation developed over the years to "pander " to GP's who have never made the grade in a hospital career.\\\\

That is what i said.........doctors not making the grade in hospital practice, have to go into GP and then Re given these special titles and privileges.......

I repeat...this is NONSENSE....they should confine themselves to GP as which I have defined.

GP's who have special interest.....I agree, then why not follow their interest without extra pay or extra titles......as long as they recognise their non Consultant limitations.

Yes, it is an anathema to me.

\\\When I had my hysterectomy in 1993, my own GP was part of the team under the consultant surgeon. I don't know if that would still be acceptable! \\

Team? what team? was it a heart transplant? All on needs is the surgeon and his assistant with the theatre staff.......quite what a GP would do, I shudder to think......he should be in his surgery seeing GP patients.
Sqad - understood :-) - and yes, I see what you mean about people who might elect to go into general practice because they didn't make the grade (although when I worked in hospitals I was told that they go into psychogeriatrics, but that's not fair to them, either!)

My GP assisted with my hysterectomy, the consultant surgeon was happy to have him on board. I don't know what he did in the theatre, I was unconscious :-)

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