Call for family GP services ‘overhaul’
BUSINESS leaders today called for a “thorough overhaul” of family doctor services amid claims the system is leading to millions of lost working days.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said the cost to the economy of restricted opening times, difficulty in booking appointments and the “limited number of services on offer in many GP surgeries was more than £1bn.
The business group said people should be able to register at more than one surgery so they could visit a doctor close to where they work in a bid to speed up treatment.
Deputy director-general John Cridland said changes were needed to tackle the 175 million days being lost every year because of ill-health.
“We need a GP service that fits around people’s lives, offering convenience and flexibility.”
Mr Cridland stressed that the CBI was not criticising GPs but believed the system was not working effectively.
The CBI’s report, Just What The Patient Ordered, said more over-the-counter advice from pharmacists would help break the link between where people lived and their access to healthcare.
A survey of 1,000 adults by the CBI showed that one in three found it difficult to book an appointment with a doctor at a time convenient to them.
The business group warned people could be off work for longer than was necessary because of delays in seeking treatment.
A separate study of 200 doctors by high street giant Boots suggested that 3.5 million working days are lost every year because of time spent at the doctor’s - more than four times as much as is lost to industrial action.
