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#GPnews: NHS short on front-line staff after ‘cost-cutting’

17:00 Here is a little round-up of today’s top stories on PulseToday. 

Earlier in the day, we reported that GPC has told NHS managers that every practice should be compensated for the significant extra workload they have had to take on as a result of the ‘systematic failure’ stemming from the handover of primary care support services to the private provider Capita. 

Read the full story here 

Meanwhile, Pulse also learnt today that a GP practice identified as a target for the vulnerable practice fund has been closed down by the CQC while waiting for that support to materialise. 

14:40 Another big story on PulseToday this afternoon: Patients at risk as IT error miscalculates CV score in thousands

Cialis - Levitra - Statins - Cardiovascular - Online

Cialis – Levitra – Statins – Cardiovascular – Online

Pulse can reveal that hundreds of thousands of patients have potentially been given an incorrect cardiovascular risk estimation after a major IT system glitch. 

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Read more on this here 

 

14:15 ‘Bad planning and cost-cutting’ have left the NHS in England short of vital front-line staff, MPs have warned today. 

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged ministers to get a ‘better grip’ of the situation, otherwise the shortage in doctors, nurses and midwives would ‘get even worse’, the BBC reports

The cross-party group also commented that the government have shown ‘no coherent attempt’ to rectify the seven-day staffing issue. But in response to the PAC committee’s claims, the government defended its record, adding that extra money was being invested in the NHS this parliament. 

Published by the group of MPs, the report acknowledged the projected extra £8bn of NHS funding by 2020, however questioned how far the budget would stretch given that the government is already looking to increase services at the weekend. 

11:45 If you haven’t seen our breaking news, the GPC is calling on NHS England to rectify the problems with primary care support services caused by its outsourcing to Capita.

GPC chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul tells NHS England he wants compensation for practices, and for them to demonstrate:

  • exactly what is being done to resolve and stabilise the service;
  • that no further plans will be implemented until they have been thoroughly tested, and proved to be safe, but also acceptable to end users;
  • sufficient numbers of adequately trained staff are available (halting office closure plans if required);
  • lessons will be learnt, by altering the service specification with Capita and by providing additional funding support for practices;
  • any current or future PMS reviews should take into account the increased workload when deciding on appropriate levels of funding;
  • any governance breaches should be investigated and NHS England must indemnify GPs who have acted reasonably, but find through no fault of their own, breaches of any CQC or information governance issues as a result of these changes.

Read the full story here.

9:30 Plenty of GP news this morning. Our top story is an exclusive, revealing that a GP practice identified as a target for the vulnerable practice fund has been closed down by the CQC while waiting for that support to materialise.

Elsewhere, MPs on an influential parliamentary committee have said here has been ‘no coherent attempt’ to assess the impact on the current NHS workforce of implementing seven-day services.

Staying on seven-day services, two more studies have concluded that there is no such thing as the ‘weekend effect’ – bringing the total of studies disproving the Government’s claims to four in less than a week.

So hat’s off to the DH for this comment: ’This “weekend effect” is the established consensus of the medical and scientific community and the Government makes no apology for tackling the variety of factors that contribute to this, including staffing levels and access to diagnostics, to create a safer seven day NHS.’

Got a story? Let us know by tweeting the hashtag #GPnews or emailing newsdesk@pulsetoday.co.uk