Lack Of Doctors To Staff Out-Of-Hours Services

Out-of-hours GP services are not being made a high enough priority by the NHS, according to a new survey of family doctors.

The Urgent Care Commission Report, led by former Department of Health tsar Professor David Colin-Thome, found 57% of GPs think out-of-hours services need to be a higher priority, while less than half (46%) think such services have enough resources to provide quality care.

A similar proportion (49%) said there is not sufficient integration between GPs working during the day and those working night shifts. The report concluded that GPs have been discouraged from working out-of-hours, leading to a chronic shortage of doctors for the service.

"Out-of-hours services have too often been treated as an 'add-on'," said Professor Colin-Thome.

"If they are better integrated with hospitals and emergency services, then a lot of people who currently spend hours sitting in A&E could be treated at home or get much quicker access to specialist care."

Expert Opinion

Patient safety should always be a priority and it is vital that the NHS ensures that the right resources are available for those who need care to access the necessary services. <br/> <br/>"Through our work, we have seen many cases when people have suffered as a result of failings in care or miscommunication between medical professionals. Proper integration of services is a vital part of ensuring people can get the quality and safe support they deserve." Lisa Jordan - Partner