Newcastle and Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group (NGCC) is aiming to entice more GPs to set up practices and remain in Gateshead.
The NGCC addressed Gateshead council’s Care, Health, and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee and outlined the issues with GP retention. Dr Domininc Slowie, medical director of the NGCC, told councillors general practice has become an unattractive option for medical students over the last 20 years.
“Over the last 20 years there has been a relative disinvestment in general practice and primary care”, Dr Slowie told councillors.
“The Health Foundation, which is a think tank, charity, that look at how we deliver and commission health in this country, looked at the expansion of medical workforce, specifically doctors across the NHS and in the last 20 years there was a doubling of secondary care and the number of GPs stood still.”
“General practice is not seen as an attractive career anymore. There is a lot of media context being said about general practice which is maybe the most negative that certainly I have seen in my career.”
Dr Slowie also described high rates of burnout among GPs and pension anomalies making it more financially viable for GPs to retire early rather than have their pensions penalised.
To make general practice more appealing in the area the group proposes to offer more flexible working conditions. The group secured funding for a flexible working hub for the next 24 months. All 29 practices within Gateshead are eligible for support for GPs, nurses, and administration staff.
This initiative has already been deemed a success by the group as several “skilled staff” signed up to the plan to help plug gaps in the workforce.
A five year plan is also under way to build links with regional medical schools and begin placement programmes and work experience in primary care.
Councillors were told pressure needs to be lifted from GPs with the help of other care providers, and informing the public GP appointments may not always be the best course of action and other resources and care providers are available such as pharmacists. This service would be the responsibility of care navigators.
Lamelsey councillor Jane McCoid asked how the group intends to combat the perception care navigators "don't know what they are talking about" and encourage more public trust in the role.
Lynn Paterson, portfolio lead, said any concerns raised by a care navigator would be passed to a health professional for consideration, although this would not always be a GP.
Preventative measures were also emphasised as an area of improvement by the group. Schools and communities require messaging about keeping well as opposed to reacting only to ill health.
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