Government to keep focus on GP access, says new health secretary

The Government’s focus and targets on GP access will not change despite the change in leadership, the new health secretary has said.

In a speech closing the NHS Confed Expo conference in Manchester today, James Murray said that there won’t be a change of priorities and that the Government’s focus on access to GPs ‘remains’.

He said: ‘Too often in the past, a change of health secretary has come with a change of priorities. As a result, the service gets flooded with messages of what they need to focus on next, and progress gets delayed. 

‘The lesson of the last two years for me is that you are at your best, and you are able to deliver fastest, when the message from the top is clear.  

‘And so let me say clearly that the focus and targets of this government on electives, UEC, and access to GPs and dentists remain. The medium-term planning framework remains, and the 10-year plan remains.’

It comes as the Government’s focus on access has been previously criticised by GP leaders and experts, and the BMA is currently in dispute with the Government over online access changes and this year’s imposed GP contract.

A GP partner in the audience asked Mr Murray to explain the Government’s ‘obsession with GP access’, rather than a focus on continuity of care.

The GP asked the health secretary: ‘Could you expand on why the Government is obsessed with GP access, which is helping digital-savvy people who shout the loudest, rather than continuity of care, which is actually helping the frailer, more vulnerable people who probably need the care more?’

Mr Murray said: ‘So many people’s first experience of the NHS – day-to-day experience of the NHS, their perception of how the NHS is performing – is about their relationship with their GP and how well they can access services and what help they get.

‘So from our point of view, making sure that access is as simple as possible, that it’s modernised in the right way, that we change the services GPs provide, working with GPs to make sure that it works well, is really important.

‘Your point is well made about the importance of continuity of care, particularly for frail patients, particularly for older people, where having that continuity of care helps to identify issues before they escalate and become more serious.

‘There are AI tools and technology that can help with that, but you need a human relationship there as well, in many cases, and so I think having that continuity of care, particularly for older people who are frail, and making sure that we help them before issues progress, is so important.’