GP leaders have warned that local health chiefs are exploiting plans to overhaul the NHS in order to slash the the number of family doctors.
The Royal College of General Practitioners said last night the number of GPs proposed for many of the regional re-organisations went “against all common sense”.
It also criticised the process for prioritising major hospitals at the expense of local surgeries, despite mounting evidence that shortages of GPs ultimately puts hospitals under more pressure.
Two of the “Sustainability and Transformation Plans” which are being brought in following a record NHS overspend last year, propose to reduce the number of GPs in the local area.
However, many other plans are “vague at best”, according to the profession’s leaders, and could be a prelude to more widespread reductions.
Full story in The Telegraph 31 January 2017