EXCLUSIVEI'm going to END the GP appointment crisis: Health Secretary Wes Streeting visits MailOnline's Dr Ellie Cannon on his first day out and vows to 'bring back' the family doctor
Wes Streeting today vowed to bring back the family doctor as he made his first NHS visit as Health Secretary.
In a clear sign he plans to prioritise the GP appointment crisis, he attended Abbey Road Surgery in North London, home to MailOnline GP columnist Dr Ellie Cannon.
Standing alongside NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard, Mr Streeting pledged to 'fix the front door to the NHS' and divert billions of pounds from hospitals to GP surgeries.
Less than 10 per cent of the £165billion NHS budget in England is spent on primary care, and that share has been falling, despite record high demand at GP surgeries.
Campaigners have long warned the delays, fuelled by a shortage of GPs, puts patients at risk of having a serious illness diagnosed late or missed entirely.
Dr Cannon told MailOnline: 'That was really monumental, actually.
'For a lot of reasons GPs often feel like second in command, as it were, to the hospitals. We always feel like the deputies.
In a clear sign he plans to prioritise the GP appointment crisis, he attended Abbey Road Surgery in North London , home to MailOnline GP columnist Dr Ellie Cannon. Standing alongside NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard, Mr Streeting pledged to 'fix the front door to the NHS' and divert billions of pounds from hospitals to GP surgeries
Less than 10 per cent of the £165billion NHS budget in England is spent on primary care, and that share has been falling, despite record high demand at GP surgeries. Campaigners have long warned the delays, fuelled by a shortage of GPs, puts patients at risk of having a serious illness diagnosed late or missed entirely
Dr Cannon told MailOnline: 'That was really monumental, actually. For a lot of reasons GPs often feel like second in command, as it were, to the hospitals. We always feel like the deputies'
'But actually, we are an incredibly vital aspect of the health service.
'For many people were the only the only aspects of the health service they know about.'
She added: 'General practice is very much a patchwork, so different practices suffer with different issues.
'The GP crisis really is the workforce, and having enough permanent, regular doctors who are able to run a practice.'
Meanwhile, Mr Streeting said: 'Patients are finding it harder than ever to see a GP. Patients can't get through the front door of the NHS, so they aren't getting the timely care they need.
'That's no surprise, when GPs and primary care has been receiving a smaller proportion of NHS resources. I'm committed to reversing that.
'If patients can't get a GP appointment, then they end up in A&E, which is worse for them, and more expensive for the taxpayer.
'We are committed to bringing back the family doctor, so patients can see the same doctor each appointment, fixing the front door to the NHS.'
Latest health service data shows more than five million patients a month in England are waiting more than a fortnight for an appointment.
Dr Cannon told MailOnline: 'The main issue concerning our surgery are social problems.
'A lot of GPs are utilized for people with housing issues or with issues with food poverty, problems with mouldy bedrooms.
'They need to talk to somebody, so they come to us.'
She added: 'There are there are better, more appropriate places for those people.
'The other issue, that I genuinely didn't used to notice but I absolutely have in the last year, is the fallout from the waiting lists in hospitals end up in general practice.
'Patients of mine who are waiting for a hip operation, for example, understandably, are spending many appointments during that time with a GP because they need help with pain, they need help possibly with a sick note, depression as a result of waiting for the operation, logistical help.
'All of these things end up coming back onto the shoulders of a GP.
'I hope he realises — that if you prop up general practice and support general practice, it supports the whole system.'
Speaking to patients during his hour-long visit, Mr Streeting vowed to bring the cost-of-living to the top of the health agenda, acknowledging there was only 'so much the NHS can do, even when it's working at the top of its game'.
Speaking to patients during his hour-long visit to the clinic, Wes Streeting also vowed to bring the cost-of-living to the top of the health agenda. He acknowledged there was only 'so much the NHS can do, even when it's working at the top of its game'
Dr Cannon added: 'He was very interested in everybody across the team, so not just GPs, but he also met our receptionists and pharmacists, and our junior doctors. It was important for us that he heard about why the NHS, why they might want to go on strike as junior doctors because of training difficulties'
He added: 'Things like housing, and heating, income, employment, skills, education, diet, nutrition and exercise, air quality — all of these things are having an enormous impact.
'I think there's a real opportunity for us to have a serious long-term plan to improve the nation's health and reduce health inequalities and improve health life expectancy.'
GPs have long complained they are overwhelmed due to the pressures of the rising and ageing population and a lack of government funding.
Many are choosing to retire in their 50s or move abroad.
NHS figures have also long shown GPs are under huge pressure and treating a record number of people.
Under recommendations implemented by the BMA and European Union of General Practitioners, GPs in the UK today should not deliver more than 25 appointments a day to ensure 'safe care'.
But family doctors have reported cramming in up to 90 appointments per day, in a situation compared to a conveyor belt.
Latest NHS statistics show there were just over 27,600 fully-qualified full-time equivalent GPs working across England in April.
The Health Secretary will on Tuesday turn his focus to ending junior doctor strike action. Data shows more than 60,000 appointments, procedures and operations were postponed as a result of the most recent five-day walkout by medics
This is just under 2,000 fewer than the figure recorded in the same month in 2016.
This is despite the population growing by around 2million over the same period.
GP surgeries have also faced rising levels of harassment, assaults and verbal abuse targeted at staff in recent months.
The Health Secretary will on Tuesday turn his focus to ending junior doctor strike action.
Data shows more than 60,000 appointments, procedures and operations were postponed as a result of the most recent five-day walkout by medics.
The latest action was the 11th strike by junior doctors in 20 months.
The BMA claims its demands are for 'pay restoration' given that previous NHS salary rises for medics have not kept pace with inflation since 2008.
Mr Streeting has previously said he would not meet their 35 per cent demand, arguing if he was to cave in then 'any trade union worth their salt' would return the following year with the same request.
But he has said there was 'space for a discussion' on pay, as well as negotiations on how to improve working conditions.
