Surgery hours plan upsets GPs

Family doctors in Rochdale have expressed concern over government plans to extend surgery hours.

Rochdale and Bury Local Medical Committee (LMC), which represents GPs, held a meeting with Greater Manchester colleagues to discuss the plans.

The Government has said it wants surgeries to open for an extra half an hour for every 1,000 patients for no extra money.

But doctors and practice managers from areas including Rochdale said the Government had not consulted with them properly and the measures were not flexible enough.

Dr Mohammed Jiva, LMC member based in Middleton, said: “There was strong feeling at the meeting these plans could fragment the health service.

“The GPs have labelled it an imposition, there has been no consultation. It has created havoc.

“I’ve had colleagues who are only a few years into working as a GP saying they are taking their skills abroad, or looking to becoming a locum.”

Dr Jiva added the issue of industrial action was raised but doctors felt it could compromise patient care and put patients lives at risk. Doctors have been told the Government plans to remove £6,000 for every GP - money earned for reaching targets - and wants them to earn the funding back by extending opening times.

Dr Kailash Chand, who represents North West doctors on the British Medical Association (BMA), said: “The Government has done this with a gun pointing at our heads.

“The BMA is unhappy and we are pleading to the Government that this is no way of negotiating.

“If extended hours are needed then it should be done, but we want to extend hours with flexibility.”

A spokesman for NHS North-West said: “Additional hours is what patients are saying they would like.