Top doctor argues for enhanced GP roles

An expert on GP services in the NHS has issued a report urging the adoption of proposed government reforms suggesting the movement of some care from hospitals to family doctors and closer to the homes of patients.

Dr David Colin-Thome, national clinical director for primary care, has made a number of proposals to health secretary Patricia Hewitt, recommending that GPs with specialist skills perform an increased number of minor operations.

He has suggested that it should become routine for GPs and consultants to work in partnership in health centres and community hospitals.

Other proposals outlined in the report include more GPs working from one-stop health centres and an expansion of the role of pharmacists.

Dr Colin-Thome said: “Patients trust GPs. We’re highly trained, offer high quality cost-effective services and our communities respect us, so why aren’t we doing even more?”

He added that many GPs specialise in specific aspects of medicines which could lend themselves to expanded roles within the community, stating that the evolution of services provided by GPs should result in improvements and additions, rather than cutbacks and limitations.

Last week, the Department of Health announced the waiting times figures for NHS inpatients and outpatients at the end of December 2006, with 152 people waiting over 13 weeks for a first outpatient appointment and 138 inpatients waiting over 26 weeks.