By Gareth Iacobucci
GPs continue to view their primary duty as providing personal care to patients, placing greater emphasis on this aspect of their work than their responsibility as commissioners.
A Pulse survey of 350 GPs shows the profession continues to place significant weight on its role in providing holistic care. Some 69% strongly agreed, and a further 11% agreed, that a good doctor-patient relationship was essential to providing high-quality general practice, with the same overall proportion believing continuity of care to be an ‘essential element' of their work.
Some 17% strongly agreed GPs had a responsibility to lead the NHS in developing and commissioning cost-effective care pathways and 28% agreed, while 15% disagreed and 10% strongly disagreed.
Dr Andrew Sikorski, a GP in Wadhurst, East Sussex, said: ‘There was a very strong push from the previous Government that undermined continuity of care and small GP practices. I don't know where the evidence for that came from. Continuity of care is vital alongside empowering the patient.'
Personal care still a priority Click here for more from our guest editor issue Guest editor Professor Martin Roland on...continuity of care