Could GPs actually go private? Why are GPs rethinking LESs? And vitamin D and calcium for fracture prevention
The new episode of Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs is now live and available on all podcast platforms.
In this episode, the Pulse team discusses the BMA’s decision to ballot GPs in England on a ‘plan B’ or an alternative model of general practice.
Pulse senior journalist Maya Dhillon is joined by deputy news editor Anna Colivicchi and editor-in-chief Jaimie Kaffash to look at where this has come from, what it shows about the profession’s mood and how likely an exit from the NHS actually is.
The group reflect on what ‘doing a dentist’ could actually look like, as well as talking to Dr Maitiú O’Faoláin – vice chair of the GP committee of the Irish Medical Organisation – about what GPs here could learn about the Republic of Ireland’s mixed model of private and state-funded general practice.
Editorial adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft is joined by Professor Celia Gregson, professor of clinical epidemiology and chair of the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group, to discuss new research on the use of vitamin D and calcium supplements for fracture prevention.
Reporter Harry Hetherington stops by to talk about his new investigation into local enhanced services across England. He explains the threefold ‘LES Lottery’ he uncovered through data, explaining the variation for services across ICBs and why GPs continue to carry out underfunded LESs.
And we round off the episode with a quickfire clinical round-up with the biggest stories this month: the final recommendations for prostate cancer screening in the general population; a name change for polycystic ovary syndrome; and uptake in combined asthma inhalers since an update in NICE guidance.
This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.
Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs is hosted on Buzzsprout but you can find it wherever you get your podcasts.
Visit Pulse Reference for details on 140 symptoms, including easily searchable symptoms and categories, offering you a free platform to check symptoms and receive potential diagnoses during consultations.
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READERS' COMMENTS [2]
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I always wondered that Hospital Consultants who were working full time were privileged as they could easily do private practice parallel to their NHS job as their contracted hours are not as rigid as GPs. We work through morning, afternoon and evening. We should also have hours like Hospital consultant where we can go in afternoons or evenings or morning and do our private practice. One needs transparency here. A GP Partner is no less than a hospital consultant!
The root of the problem is the GMS contract forbids you from doing any kind of paid work for patients on the practice list. This includes all medical services NHS or not but also any kind of work. So you cannot have a sideline doing lawn mowing or haircuts for your patients. While consultants are free to provide any private services even for patient s they are providing NhS services to. It originates from the principle of unfair business practice since you are able to market yourselves directly to your patients about whom You have privileged data while other providers do not. However there is nothing to prevent you doing private work for anyone who is not on your list. However I think a simple fair change in the contract is that you can freely advertise services in the community and provide private services to your patients as long as you do not use that privileged info in your marketing.