GPC calls for Professor Steve Field's resignation 'forthwith'
The GPC has called for the resignation of the chief inspector of primary care, Professor Steve Field, at its meeting in London today.
The motion says that the GPC ’has no confidence in the CQC’s current chief inspector of general practice’, and 'demands his resignation forthwith’, after he claimed that he was ’ashamed of GPs’.
It came right after the RCGP said Professor Field - a former RCGP chair - has ‘lost the confidence’ of GPs, and called for an apology.
Earlier in the week, Professor Field made a tirade of comments in the national media, claiming that he is ’ashamed’ to be a GP at times because of the care being offered by some practices.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Sometimes we go into a surgery and it’s so bad we go to court the following day to close it down. As a practising GP, I’m quite ashamed that some of my colleagues are providing such poor care.’
Today, the GPC took the step of calling for his resignation. The motion - voted on by GPC members today - says: ’The GPC has no confidence in the CQC’s current Chief Inspector of General Practice and demands his resignation forthwith’.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, GPC chair, said: ’This motion demonstrates the dismay and anger felt by dedicated hardworking GPs across England following the recent unjustified comments made by the chief inspector of general practice at the CQC.
’When the vast majority of practices are managing to maintain high quality care against all odds in the face of falling resources, staff shortages and rising patient demand, the chief inspector should be vocally supporting GP services and not undermining them.’
He added: ’It is clear that the CQC inspection regime is not fit for purpose. The current process is disproportionate, expensive and bureaucratic, and takes GPs and their staff away from spending time looking after their patients. It includes endless amounts of pointless paperwork, such as box ticking exercises aimed at scrutinising the details of internal practice meetings.
’The CQC has already had to perform a U-turn this year over its widely discredited risk banding programme which formed judgements before inspectors had even arrived at a practice.’
Dr Baker earlier said: ‘GPs are supportive in general of regulation, however the way Steve has gone about making misleading, unfounded and denigrating comments about the level of care that hard-working GPs provide to their patients is rapidly undermining the concept of regulation.’
She went on to add that as a result of Professor Field’s ‘sensationalist and non-evidenced claims’ about the how bad the level of patient care is, he has ‘clearly lost the confidence of the profession.’
‘He repeatedly makes sensationalist and non-evidenced claims about how bad the level of patient care is – which must inevitably scare patients,’ Dr Baker said.
‘As the chief inspector of general practice, Steve needs to be seen as being fair and impartial, but given the scaremongering comments he has made this is no longer the case. To be quite frank, he has now clearly lost the confidence of the profession.’
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Readers' comments (84)
Anonymous | Salaried GP17 Dec 2015 12:48pm
Well said Dr Baker. It was obvious you were furious at the Health Select committee. Well done
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Clare Gerada | GP Partner17 Dec 2015 12:55pm
Maybe we need to now seek collective legal advise about the competence, reliability, sensitivity and fairness of CQC process and the evidence for their high fees. Until then maybe our Professional leaders can demand that we pause the process and fees
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Anonymous | Sessional/Locum GP17 Dec 2015 12:57pm
Maureen! Good on ya but I'm yet to restart my DD for your college. Continue like this and I might change my mind.
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Anonymous | GP Partner17 Dec 2015 1:05pm
i watched the select committee last night on catch up. What was striking was the political astuteness of Field with his evasiveness and smarming. I'm afraid that the body language between him and Nagpaul was very warm- they seemed to delight in each others presence.I thought Maureen did extremely well maintaining her composure against some extraordinarily hostile questioning particularly from Ben Bradshaw an ex minister of health who came across as petulant and spiteful and in cahoots with Field. It is well worth watching in its entirety. It takes some time to get started.
http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/fa627249-1db8-4401-81d2-d28d52b0ecf6?utm_source=The%20British%20Medical%20Association&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6584006_GP%20e%20newsletter%2016%2F12%2F15&dm_i=JVX,3X492,BLGNXS,E4NWP,1
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Anonymous | GP Partner17 Dec 2015 1:27pm
Well said Maureen
Prof field ... You really MUST now resign
Failure to do so would inevitably lead to total non cooperation with CQC if that will not happen already due to the outrageous proposed increase in fees from an unaccountable quango that is yet to demonstrate competence or effectiveness
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Anonymous | Salaried GP17 Dec 2015 1:28pm
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Anonymous | GP Partner17 Dec 2015 1:38pm
Nice to see all the big beasts appearing at the waterhole for the pre-April contract negotiation beano.
Sadly, the GP waterhole dried up a long time ago and all the small beasts are looking a little emaciated.
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Anonymous17 Dec 2015 1:38pm
If the man has the slightest insight he must resign today.
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Anonymous | NHS Manager17 Dec 2015 1:45pm
Professor Field is clearly prejudice towards GPs and therefore not fit to hold his position at the CQC so should resign with immediate effect!
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Anonymous | GP Partner17 Dec 2015 1:47pm
Just watched part of the select committee!!
I am so glad I have left the UK.
They have not got a clue about general practice.
Good on you Dr Baker, keep up the good work.
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