“General practice is the foundation of the NHS, and the partnership model remains at the centre of this, providing high-quality, person-centred care to patients from within the community. We therefore welcome this review, which not only recognises the vital role of the partnership model, but crucially also acknowledges what the BMA has been saying for some time about the ever-increasing threats to its sustainability.
“This interim report identifies many of the problems consistently raised by the BMA that must be solved if the partnership model is to be reinvigorated, not least dealing with unsafe workload pressures and managing risks that so often outweigh the benefits of becoming a partner. Workforce recruitment and retention issues, spiralling indemnity costs, premises risks, and other financial liabilities all ultimately fall on the partner, and they must be tackled if we are to make the model more appealing to both today’s GPs and those of tomorrow.
“There are some fantastic examples within this report of innovation and good practice that prove there is a strong appetite from the GP workforce for the partnership model to survive and continue to provide the best care for patients around the country.
“We will now work with the review as it looks for meaningful, tangible solutions that will give confidence to current partners and those who may consider this option in the future that their concerns have not only been listened to, but are most importantly acted on.”
Please contact the Department of Health and Social Care for a copy of the report.