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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
Speak for yourself, Dr.Spence, not us!
- John Leigh (13 August 2007)
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Admin load and costs not reduced
- Adrian K Midgley (13 August 2007)
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What I sell and what patients want bought
- Adrian K Midgley (13 August 2007)
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John Leigh, GP Principal Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 9PR
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Dear Dr. Spence Please confine your comments to yourself, and do not purport to speak for the rest of the profession unless you have hard evidence. "our working lives have been transformed by the new GP contract, so we owe our patients and the government an opportunity to explore these suggestions" No, we do not owe any group anything. We certainly do not wish to give up on the good points of the new GP contract. "but merely offering different times of availability this would suit many practices," How do you know about "many practices"? - seriously, how do you know? - have you conducted surveys? We certainly don't think it wold suit us. "Such flexibility is much more compatible with family life" No it's not. Speak for your own family life, don't speak for mine or anyone else's. I'm very happy with my current hours. "with the development of paperless records systems and online booking the need for clerical staff is in steep decline" Pure fantasy. We have found we need MORE clerical time with each new "advance". "Offering extended opening is simply an issue of organisation—it is in our interests" Well it may be in your interest, but it isn't in mine, so do not suggest that it is. To be frank, I find you suggestions dressed up as the desires of the majority objectionable. Competing interests: None declared |
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Adrian K Midgley, GP Exeter EX1 2QS
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Des Spence's well written essay outlines some of the threats and opportunities for general practice, however I cannot confirm one of his assertions from personal experience, and some of my colleagues have remarked that neither can they. Administrative load and costs have _not_ been reduced. Competing interests: I'm a GP |
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Adrian K Midgley, GP Exeter EX1 2QS
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I'm a sole principal in a small practice. This may change, but even in larger practices the situation is often not wholly different. I sell continuity. I can't do that, at a high level of working, on 7 days a week, nor given changes in society of whch I demand my share, should I now be expected to do it on 6 days. We don't sell wholly interchangeable sessions by wholly interchangeable doctors, for most things, and we shouldn't. Purchasing needs to reflect that. Changing to an organisation offering GPs the chance to work on four days, and opening the building every day has its points, but a loss of continuity is a heavy price to pay for the small benefits to be had from it and the changes required around it. Competing interests: I'm a GP |
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