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GPs offered £2k cash bonus for working out of hours under new LES
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16:15 Winchester and Chandlers Ford MP Steve Brine will most likely be named the next minister responsible for general practice, according to sources at the Department of Health.
If confirmed in the post, Mr Brine will replace David Mowat – who lost his MP seat in the general election – in the job of making the GP Forward View a reality.
The news comes as one of the new health ministers appointed following the election was hopefully not considered for that job.
As revealed by Pulse, Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price puts local GP shortages down to practices ‘not delivering’ what they were funded for.
Amid delays to the rollout of the GP Forward View over the past year, hopefully Mr Brine will be better than Mr Mowat at helping GPs out of this pickle.
14:15 In what may come as a shock to some – a recent survey of 140 GPs found that half (just half?) want to ‘enjoy better lifestyle opportunities’, including flexible working and living in a small town.
The survey was done by commissioners in the Midlands and Lancashire in an attempt to play matchmaker with GPs, who are looking for a certain lifestyle, and practices that can offer it.
It’s all part of an NHS England pilot scheme called ‘Different Practices’, which aims to improve services by creating ‘happy, motivated GPs’ with a work-life balance they enjoy.
One happy customer, Dr Jui Pandit, a GP at the Highgate Medical Practice in Birmingham said having flexible hours has made her job ‘fun again’ and makes her actually miss working.
The scheme also works with practices to look at offering different ways of working to allow GPs more flexibility.
So, local GPs, if there’s a restaurant, museum or shop you just can’t stay away from, Midland and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit has your back.
09:40 The track-record of GPs is being questioned in mainstream media today, after a survey from NCT found many new mothers with postnatal depression are not identified.
The Mail, for example, suggests depressed mothers are being ‘failed’ by GPs and midwives.
The study, which we cover here, suggests four-in-ten with mental health concerns slip through the net at the six-week check, which NCT put down to GPs being rushed off their feet.
But, as the Telegraph reports, there’s also a concern new mothers are ‘too scared’ to speak up about their feelings, in case they are deemed an unfit mother to their newborn.
And the RCGP also had a few choice words to say about the NCT’s report.
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