HM Primary Care

GPs need to be freed from increased bureaucracy, box ticking and administration so they can spend more time meeting the needs of their patients, says a new BMA survey.

One Medical Property, the healthcare premises developer, and One Medicare, the healthcare services provider owned by One Medical Property, have announced an organisational restructure after ten years of operation.

Assura Group, the UK Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) and primary care property investor and developer has acquired the entire issued share capital of Trinity Medical Properties Limited and Trinity Medical Developments Limited.

Primary Health Properties, the UK investor in modern primary healthcare facilities, has acquired three modern, purpose built medical centres for a total consideration of £9.55m. They are in:

Changing health needs are prompting a number of GPs to build organisations capable of preserving the personal, local nature of general practice whilst offering their patients and communities a greater range of services, according to an independent review by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund for the former NHS Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has approved the award of contracts to SSP Health Ltd, the primary care practice provider, to manage and operate 22 medical practices in Merseyside.

Primary Health Properties (PHP), the investor in modern primary healthcare facilities, has acquired the entire issued share capital of Primary Health Care Centres Limited (PHCC), an investor in primary care and pharmacy properties in the UK.

GPs are advocating private treatment to patients due to the limitations of clinical commissioning group (CCGs), according to Spire Healthcare. 70% of GPS tell patients who don’t meet requirements for procedures of limited clinical effectiveness, they should go private. 62% of GPs are telling patients to wait until their condition worsens. Spire Healthcare has surveyed 824 GPs in England to learn about procedures limited by their CCG and the advice they give to patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria set for surgery. 63% of GPs – up from 30% in 2011** - are indicating to their patients that they should consider using their private medical insurance where they have this. 80% of GP-led CCG’s appear to have identified their procedures of limited clinical effectiveness’ (PoLCE). Surgery for varicose veins, tonsillectomy, carpal tunnel syndrome and hernia repair topped the list - despite varicose vein and hernia surgery being two of the four NHS funded procedures followed up using Patient Reported Outcome Measures or PROMs. One in six GPs also stated that knee arthroscopy, knee replacement, hip replacement and cataract surgery, have also been either restricted of had their criteria for proceeding to surgery increased.

The new NHS non-emergency telephone line, NHS 111 hit a bump in the road last month as one of the providers, NHS Direct, admitted that offering the service in some areas would be unsustainable’.

Monitor is to examine the commissioning and provision of GP services in England to see if there are barriers preventing patients from securing access to the best possible care. The health sector regulator wants to hear from patients, GPs, commissioners and other providers of primary and secondary care.