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NHS transformation plans cannot ‘save’ money without cutting services

The NHS is unprecedented financial crisis. The proportion of GDP spent on the NHS is going down year on year and is one of the lowest in Europe. Most acute hospital trusts are in deficit and the proportion of the NHS allocation spent on general practice is at an all time low at a time when work is being transferred from secondary to primary care. There is also a workforce crisis in general practice. Young doctors are not choosing it as a career and older doctors are leaving. The situation is such that a recent GPC survey revealed that 84% of GPs feel that their workload is either excessive or unmanageable. This is not safe for patients.

On this backdrop, the ‘sustainability and transformation plans’ mandated by NHS England will demand £22 billion of ‘savings’ across the NHS in England.

We believe that it is not possible to ‘save’ this amount of money without severe cuts in service. The NHS is struggling to function as it is and it is a testament to all the staff who work in it that it still provides such an excellent service.

We are not against change that is clinically evidenced but we cannot sanction this financially driven exercise.

We demand that the STPs are stopped and the percentage of GDP spent on the NHS be restored to a value to adequately resource it and provide patients with the care they deserve.

Dr Anna Livingstone, Limehouse practice

Dr Jackie Applebee, Tredegar practice

Dr Ruth Vickers, formerly of Limehouse practice

Dr Mike Fitchett, Island Health.

Mostafa Farook, practice manager, The Barkantine Practice

Dr Sella Shanmugadasan, Harley Grove Medical Centre

Dr Andrea Green, Island Health

Maggie Falshaw, practice manager, Jubilee Street Practice

Dr Archana Spahn, Ruston Street Clinic

Dr Dilesh Patel, Ruston Street Clinic

Dr Naimish Amin, Ruston Street Clinic

Carline King, nurse, Ruston Street Clinic

Laura Ross, practice manager, Ruston Street Clinic

Amy Bramley, healthcare assistant, Ruston Street Clinic 

Layla Abdul-Motlib, receptionist, Ruston Street Clinic 

Nazia Gazi, receptionist, Ruston Street Clinic

Salma Begum, receptionist, Ruston Street Clinic

Dr Ingrid Franklin, Bromley-by-Bow Health Centre

Dr Emily Woolridge, Bethnal Green Health Centre

Dr Ben Hart, Chrisp Street Health Centre

Dr Shaheena Shakoor

Dr Raquel Gracia, East One Health and Cable Street Surgery

Dr Soraya Boomla, St Stephens Health Centre

Dr Alison Smailes, Chrisp Street Health Centre

Dr Sangeeta Rana, Merchant Street Practice

Dr Nirupam Talukder, Grove Road Surgery

Dr Naureen Bhatti, Limehouse Surgery

Dr Rosanna Pollen, Bethnal Green Health Centre

Dr Kirti Shah, Grove Road Surgery

Dr Dimple Varma, Brayford Square

Dr Tai Okun, Harford Health Centre

Dr Jennie Read, Limehouse Health Centre

Dr Win-Leung Siu

Dr Kobir Ahmed, Spitalfields Practice

Dr Saida Desai, Spitalfields Practice

Dr Mohammed Sanaullah, Spitalfields Practice

Dr Alim Uddin, Spitalfields Practice

Dr Anwara Ali, Spitalfields Practice

Emma Stanford, practice manager, Spitalfields Practice 

Dr Naomi Beer, Jubilee Street Practice

Dr Shamira Bhikha

Dr Haroon Rashid, Albion Health Centre

Dr Mike Callaghan, St Stephens Health Centre

Dr Selvaseelan Selvarajah

Dr Munmun Rashid, Wapping Group Practice