Helen Salisbury: No room for growth at general practices

Abstract

There aren’t enough GPs to meet patient demand, and we’ve been invited to plug the gaps with other health professionals funded though the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). The plan is that by 2024 an extra 26 000 staff—including physiotherapists, pharmacists, paramedics, social prescribers, and dietitians—will work in general practice teams, offering a better service to patients and (if all goes to plan) lightening the load for GPs. So far around 9000 of these allied health professionals are in post, but it remains unclear whether the 2024 target will be reached. Lack of suitably trained personnel is an issue—we really can’t solve …

Topics & Concepts