NHS Confederation responds to the BMA General Practitioners Committee’s ‘Call To Action’ document

Prof Aruna Garcea, chair of the NHS Confederation’s primary care network, a GP, and clinical director of Leicester City and Universities Primary Care Network (PCN) said:

“It is positive the BMA recognises the need for primary care to work at scale and we agree that more investment is needed in general practice, with a credible plan to expand the workforce, and improved infrastructure.

“However, calling for PCNs to be scrapped would be a step in the wrong direction when we have seen them deliver real impact for local communities, including in the Covid-19 vaccination programme and supporting the recruitment of 26,000 additional roles.

“To label them as a "failed project" is disrespectful to the huge commitment that PCNs clinical directors and their staff have put in over the last four years.

“There are huge GP vacancies, high demand from patients, and the NHS has already been through a very recent upheaval in the pandemic and in the formation of integrated care systems which enable primary care to finally have a voice in broader population health management.

“Rather than throw the baby out with the bath water by introducing further distracting structural reform to the NHS, we need to look at what additional support and flexibilities can be provided to PCNs so they can deliver on the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan and Fuller stocktake.”

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