Primary care staff are leaving their jobs or are becoming increasingly distracted from their day to day work because of uncertainty caused by government plans to reorganise primary care, MPs have been told.

The reconfiguration of primary care organisations is taking its toll, witnesses said at last week's hearing of the House of Commons health select committee's inquiry into changes to primary care trusts.

The finance director at one primary care trust, giving evidence to the committee, said some staff were already “voting with their feet” and leaving to go and work in the acute sector—which is seen as more stable—because of the uncertainties in primary care.

Phillip Barrett, director of finance at High Peak and …