GP Action at Robin Hood Lane Health Centre: What You Need to Know
Why We’re Taking Action
Our GP practice, along with others across England, is facing serious challenges:
- There are fewer GPs now than in 2015
- We have more patients to care for, with each GP responsible for about 2,300 people
- Our funding has been cut, even though we handle 90% of patient contacts
- Many experienced staff are leaving due to stress and overwork
The Financial Squeeze
- The money available to run GP surgeries hasn’t kept up with rising costs
- We need a 10.7% increase in funding just to get back to 2018-19 levels
- This lack of funding makes it hard to keep our practices running and provide the care you deserve
Why It’s Not a Strike
As GPs, we can’t go on strike like hospital doctors can. If we did, we’d lose our contracts with the NHS. Also, we care deeply about our patients and don’t want to leave you without care. Instead, we’re taking ‘collective action’.
This is NOT about increased income for individual GPs and their staff. This is about making sure that we can provide the level and standard of care that both you, and we, expect.
What We’re Doing and Why
The action we are taking as a practice focuses on stopping unpaid work that we’ve been doing to keep the system running. This includes:
- Writing old-style referral letters instead of filling in long forms (except for cancer referrals)
- Not rationing referrals or investigations
- Aiming to see no more than 25 patients per GP per day
This last point is really important. Seeing 25 patients a day is considered safe across Europe. It means:
- Doctors are less likely to make mistakes or burn out
- Patients get more thorough consultations that are more likely to solve their problems
Right now, many GPs see more than twice this number of patients every day.
The Hidden Work We Do
An NHS document suggests that if GPs stopped doing unpaid work, it would cost the system £570 million over just four months. This shows how much extra work we’re currently doing for free.
If this money (about £1.7 billion per year) was properly invested in GP practices, we could:
- Hire more staff
- Improve access to GPs
- Provide better, safer care for you
Our Shared Goal: Better Services for All
It’s important to understand that this action is not about increasing GPs’ pay. Instead, it’s about:
- Securing better funding to improve the services we offer you
- Ensuring we have enough staff to meet your healthcare needs
- Reducing wait times and increasing appointment availability
- Allowing GPs to spend more time with each patient
We want what you want – a GP service that can provide high-quality care when you need it. This action aims to achieve that shared goal.
What This Might Mean for You
You might notice some changes at our practice:
- It might take longer to get a non-urgent appointment
- We may not be able to offer some services we used to provide
- We might take longer to answer non-urgent questions or do paperwork
But don’t worry – we’ll still see urgent cases quickly and provide all essential services.
How You Can Help
- Write to your MP: We’ve provided a template letter you can use
- Share your support: Write ([email protected]) us a message or tell others about the challenges we’re facing
- Use NHS services wisely: This helps reduce pressure on GP services
- Be patient and kind: These are tough times for everyone in healthcare
Thank you for standing with us as we work to make GP services better for everyone. By taking this action, we’re fighting for a stronger, more responsive GP service that benefits both patients and healthcare providers. Together, we can ensure a healthier future for our community.