It's A Shambles!

[Sqad]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3198761/Paramedics-16-weeks-training-stand-GPs.html

The NHS will now offer....GP, A&E, Walk-in centres, Practice nurses, NHS 24 and now Paramedic consultations,as a choice for medical consultation.

" I used to be undecided and now i am not too sure."

What a waste of taxpayers money and a Health Care System in urgent need of re-organisation.

[Hypognosis]

@sqad

Have we finally reached the age where there is more medical knowledge to learn than can comfortably be accommodated in the head of someone who is already spending 7 years in tertiary education and training?

I appreciate there are hazards to compartmentalising medicine. Do you think the government does also, or is this their reaction to the difficulty in churning out new recruits?

[Sqad]

Actually Hypo, I think it is a good idea, providing the Walk in Centres, the phone lines (NHS24) are abolished, money is diverted from primary Care to the hospital service (including A&E) and the role of the GP revised.

In my opinion, the main role of the GP is that of filtration and fast tracking urgent cases for treatment and investigation to the hospitals. No home visits by the GP's and Polyclinics set up, manned 24 hours a day including the provision for seeing minor injuries.

\\\\\I appreciate there are hazards to compartmentalising medicine. Do you think the government does also, or is this their reaction to the difficulty in churning out new recruits? \\\

A good point Hypo. In my opinion compartmentalising medicine is a good thing and an advantage to patient care and survival, but no, the Government is doing this to fill in the looming deficit of general practitioners.

[whiskeryron]

// Sqad, What a waste of taxpayers money and a Health Care System in urgent need of re-organisation. // Hear, Hear. Why is there NO mention of Nurse Practitioners ? My daughter who is now a fully qualified Health Visitor went through all her VERY expensive NHS training to become a Nurse Practitioner who believe me is as good at her job as ANY GP ( & better than some I know) There are quite a lot of ready trained NPs ready to do the job.

[Gromit]

It's am ambu-shambles.

[Sqad]

Gromit..;-)

Ron. I agree with all that you posted, but that would mean giving the GP's a different and possibly less prominent a role. The BMA is a strong union which the Government will not take on with any degree of success.

The Gp's are well paid, job for life, good pensions and unlikely to agree to any change.

[Bathsheba]

about as much use as Police Community Support Officers, with no powers of arrest.

[youngmafbog]

Spoke to my daughter on this, who has spent quite a few years as an A&E doctor before moving to surgery. She sees noting wrong with some things being dealt with outside GP's and A %E. She does not have a lot of time for GP's but she wS welcoming of some one else to remove the variety of vegetables (and funnels) rather than a doctor !