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GP work shift must be ‘appropriately resourced’, LMCs insist

By Gareth Iacobucci

Plans to shift a large proportion of hospital services into primary care must be supported by large scale investment in GP premises, say GP leaders.

Delegates at the annual LMCs conference backed a motion demanding that any transfer of services to general practice must be 'appropriately resourced', and carry a committment of at least five years of 'system stability and resource'.

A separate strand of the motion, which was passed unanimously, called for any shift of care to be dependent on premises development being supported.

Although the new coalition Government has recently put the brakes on plans to shift services into GP polysystems, calls to move services into primary care are likely to intensify as the scale of the financial crisis facing the NHS unfolds.

The debate came after Pulse recently revealed controversial PCT plans to withold premises funding unless GPs agreed to draconian new contractual meaures.

Dr Frances Cranfield, a member of Hertfordshire LMC, said GPs were 'completely restrained' by a lack of premises funding.

'Not a penny has been spent on premises,' she said. 'The vast majority of us, as PCTs admit, have no space to offer new services. We are completely restrained.'

LMC leaders were adamant any shift of work to primary care must be appropriately resourced LMC leaders were adamant any shift of work to primary care must be appropriately resourced