RCGP opposes Government plans for trusts to run general practice

The RCGP has opposed Government plans for acute and community trusts to run general practice, it has told its members.

In a summary of the Government’s 10-year plan, the college said that while collaboration between providers is ‘important’, the RCGP ‘does not support trusts running general practice’.

It added that any new models of neighbourhood care need to be built with GPs ‘as core partners, not just participants’.

It comes after earlier this month the 10-year plan announced the introduction of two new contracts, aimed at enabling GPs to work across larger geographies, delivering enhanced services for people with similar needs across a defined area, or focusing on services that require coordination across multiple neighbourhoods.

But ICBs will also be given powers to contract a wider range of providers – including NHS trusts – for these services, and GPs have since raised concerns that these contracts will be ‘taken up by acute or community trusts’.

Health secretary Wes Streeting has previously argued that as part of a radical reform of the NHS, acute trusts should be able to provide primary care services and that ‘successful GPs’ should be ‘able to run local hospitals’.

In its summary of the plan, the RCGP said: ‘ICBs, as strategic commissioners, will also have the flexibility to contract a wider range of providers to deliver neighbourhood services, including secondary care trusts, and there is a focus on the role of revitalised foundation trusts.

‘While collaboration between providers is important, the RCGP does not support trusts running general practice.

‘We will continue to emphasise that any new models of neighbourhood care are built with GPs as core partners, not just participants.’

However, the college added that these new contracts ‘present potential opportunity’ to strengthen integrated care in the community.

It pointed out that although there are ‘a lot of ambitions’ set out in the plan, there is still much more detail required about how this will be delivered, especially around funding and how practices will fit into the plans.

It added: ‘Our key concern is ensuring a strong general practice voice within them. The plan suggests a central role for general practice in neighbourhood health centres, rightly acknowledging that general practice is already embedded in local communities and well-placed to lead neighbourhood level care.

‘However, resourcing and support will be required to allow GPs to take on these roles leading development and delivery, and details of the funding available are still to be determined.’

Pulse has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.

Following the publication of the plan, NHS England’s primary care director said that hospital trusts will be invited to take on new contracts for neighbourhood services where GPs ‘are not stepping up.

GP leaders and experts have recently told Pulse that having trusts or other providers running neighbourhood services could jeopardise primary care as we know it, and the BMA could re-enter dispute with the Government over the 10-year plan.

Last week, Mr Streeting told Pulse that the Government will not replace ‘really effective GP partnerships’ as part of its plans to reform the NHS.

Read all of Pulse’s coverage of the 10-year plan here.