Banbury campaigners support defence of GPs in a landmark bid to change primary care

Keep Our NHS Public Oxfordshire (KONPOx) will lobby Board members of the new NHS Integrated Care System tomorrow (Tuesday), demanding they reject a new ‘Primary Care Strategy’ designed to change GP services.

The Bucks, Oxon and Berks West Integrated Care System (BOB ICS) – which has replaced the NHS in managing health care for areas including Banbury – is being urged not to ‘rubber stamp’ a plan to put patients through a 111-style filter. Those with complex/multiple health needs would see a GP while others would be directed to a ‘hub’ and seen by nurses, paramedics or pharmacists, supervised by a single GP.

Bill MacKeith of KONPOx said: “The ‘strategy’ would sweep away the family doctor at the heart of our NHS.

"Patients would ring a ‘same day hub’ where non-GP staff would work to a checklist to ‘see’ someone possibly miles away.

"The problem is there aren’t enough family doctors. The ICB solution is - reduce the need for general practitioners by ending their role as primary port of call, so no longer providing a family doctor.

"Our solution is: fund training of new GPs and stop providing money for paramedics and physician assistants instead of GPs or nurses.”

KONP Ox reports widespread alarm and concern among GPs. The BOB ICS Local Medical Committee (LMC) of GPs submitted a very critical submission to the ‘public engagement’ exercise.

In a letter to board members, who meet tomorrow, KONPOX says: "The report on public engagement is tendentious and incomplete. It does not reflect serious criticisms and reservations in submissions by the LMC, ourselves (not a mention of anything in our submission for example), or any adverse press coverage.

“The risk to continuity of care, lack funding, resources and staffing are not adequately addressed.

“In its submission, the county councillors’ Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee said ‘Before the strategy is approved, we would like to see strong evidence, provided by primary care providers, which brings together their concerns and a clear response as to how these concerns will be addressed’.

“The 132-page report provides no evidence of this. We call on the Board to reject the proposal or defer a decision.”

Oxford GP and GP trainer Dr Helen Salisbury said: “It’s a spectacularly bad idea, roundly rejected by local medical committee leaders. It throws continuity of care and the importance of the doctor-patient relationship to the wolves.”

KONP wants a formal consultation but believes the plan would be very unlikely to survive this scrutiny.

The BOB ICB says it aims to improve access to services so patients with non-emergency needs can get same day care, ensuring those with more complex needs get proactive, personalised care from dedicated teams, to prevent people becoming unwell and staying healthier longer.

“We will need to make better use of digital tools and premises to allow us to work differently. We need to have measures in place to recruit and retain a skilled workforce,” it says.

Banbury’s Keep the Horton General group said patient access to their GP was essential as a first point of healthcare. A GP’s experience was critical to avoid missing early contra-indicated symptoms.

• Thousands of doctors applying for GP training were rejected last year.