Mastodawn

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Oct 21, 2024

Wes Streeting is launching a 'conversation' with NHS staff on how to tackle the continuing crisis & what needs to be done to shift the NHS to a more sustainable footing, without constant fire-fighting... all well & good.

But the key Q., like so many consultation exercises you & I have been part of, is will he actually listen or just cherry pick the 'answers' to fit he plan for increased privatisation that many have detected in his attitudes (and backers)?

#NHS #health
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/21/nhs-saved-my-life-rescue-health-service-wes-streeting

I love the NHS: it saved my life, but the operation to rescue it must be led by the people and its staff

Our health service is in crisis and government can’t tackle that alone, says Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care

The Guardian

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Natasha Oct 21, 2024

@ChrisMayLA6 Simple, fund community services from community nursing, social care, primary care, work on prevention via good public health including reducing poverty, update necessary infrastructure ie buildings, IT, equipment, and make it fit for purpose. It’s going to take a lot of money to get it right, which they don’t seem to want to give. The quickest fix? Sort out social care. Fund primary care to have more GPs.

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Mike 🇬🇧 🇪🇺Oct 21, 2024

@nusher @ChrisMayLA6 More GPs is a great ambition, but how long does it take to recruit & train a GP? (Rhetorical - I don't know but I'd guess at least 6 years).
More specialist nurses in GP practices? Certainly, but again nurse training is slow and recruitment isn't easy - retention is worse.
Other professions (therapists, scientists, pharmacists etc) have similar career & training constraints as the nursing profession.

Putting more doctors, nurses & other professionals in primary care is essential but how much pilfering of staff from other (acute) services can be safely managed before those services start failing.

It /can/ be done, you are right, but it won't be quick, easy or cheap - it's a case of rebuilding the staff base, having a robust decades long plan, and channelling billions of ££ carefully into the right corners.

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Montanareddog

@MikeFromLFE @nusher @ChrisMayLA6

"...how long does it take to recruit & train a GP?" Standard undergraduate medical training is 5 years; new medical graduates then do 2 foundation years in a clinical setting before they can be considered for specialty training; GP specialty training is 3 years. Thus, a total of10 years is the minimum for a qualified GP.