How accessible is your GP Surgery?

I am sure I am not alone in saying this but it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure a GP appointment unless the matter is ‘urgent’. Gone are the days where you could make an appointment to see your GP later that day or at least in the same week. Am I the only one who is offered an appointment in 3 weeks’ time! In light of this I was alarmed when I read that aging GP’s may force practices to close and failing GP practices could face closure.

Of course we need to ensure that those treating us provide us with the required standard of care. I therefore welcome the Care Quality Commission announcement that the special measures regime that is used for hospitals will be extended to GP’s. By March 2016 nearly 8,000 practices would have been inspected to ensure they are providing the correct standard of care to patients.

If a practice is given an inadequate rating they will have 6-12 months to resolve the problems before shutting down.

However, in reality, can the CQC really afford to rate too many practices as inadequate?

The Royal College of GP’s has identified 535 practices out of the 8,000 in England that could be forced to shut within the next year because more than 90% of their GPs are aged over 60. The average retirement age for a GP is 59.

In addition to this how is the Conservative party going to achieve their proposal in promising extra money to ensure that we have access to GP’s 7 days a week by 2020.

Are there enough students aspiring to be GPs and training to replace those GP’s that will have retired?

The Department of Health has confirmed it is investing in new GPs. The statistics show in 2013 there were just over 2,700 GP training places. By 2016 it should hit 3,250 a year.

Will this help the Conservative party live up to their promise?

Kendyl Moore aged 22 achieved a First Class Honours Degree whilst looking after her Mother, Nicola, who was sadly left with irreparable damage after a Doctor damaged a nerve whilst administering an injection into her back.

Kendyl is now helping others like her mother fight for their rights as she embarks upon her career as a Clinical Negligence Solicitor.

Kendyl’s mother, Nicola aged 49 was left with irreversible damage to her neck, arm and hand when a Doctor damaged one of her nerves whilst administering an injection for back pain in 2003. Kendyl was inspired by her mother’s successful claim for compensation and she therefore studied to become a Clinical Negligence Solicitor after going to University to study Law.

Kendyl attended the University of Huddersfield achieving great success whilst still caring for her mother at home.

Kendyl said: “what happened to my mum has affected her in so many ways. It has changed her life completely. It certainly made my mind up to go into practising clinical negligence”. Kendyl’s mother, Nicola said: “I am extremely proud of Kendyl. She had an awful lot going on whilst she was studying. She is just a very focused girl and nothing is going to stop her”.

Here at GMS we think it’s fantastic that Kendyl has found inspiration following a difficult situation. We understand how rewarding it can be to help people in like her mother and we wish her and her mother all the best for the future.

Brothers Akran Hussain and Inam Hussain from Stoke on Trent were jailed for 22 and 14 weeks respectively and ordered to pay £43,000.00 in costs for exposing 7 employees to asbestos during work at a former print works in Burslem in 2012.

The health and safety executive confirmed that the brothers continued to work on the site despite being aware that asbestos material was present and despite repeated visits from inspectors.

HSE inspector, Lindsey Hope said: “this was an appalling case of failing to properly plan, manage and resource this project which led to workers being exposed to risks to their health from asbestos”.

Here at GMS we feel it is concerning to note that even though most people are well aware of the risks and dangers of working with asbestos, they are still willing to put their lives and the lives of their employees at risk.