The chief inspector of primary care has indicated that GPs could ‘do better’ when dealing with end-of-life care.
Discussing the issue at the CQC’s Board meeting yesterday, Professor Steve Field who is chief inspector of general practice, said that GPs were integral to end-of-life care and were involved across the board.
But Professor Field said ‘we could do better as we move forward’.
He suggested that more could be done to ensure that GPs were the essential link between practices, hospices and hospitals for patients approaching the end of their lives.
Professor Field’s comments come as end-of-life care hit the headlines in a damning report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman earlier this week.
‘Dying Without Dignity’ revealed several examples of where patients and their families had negative experiences at the end of their life due to such things as poor communication, a lack of out-of-hours support and a lack of recognition that the person was dying.
In the same meeting, chief executive David Behan told the CQC Board that, as of 8 May, 826 GP inspection reports had been published, with 25 rated outstanding, 678 rated good, 92 requiring improvement and 31 rated inadequate.
It comes the day after GPC called for the CQC inspection ratings to be abolished.
