When the NHS was set up back in 1948, the role of the GP was
slightly different to how it is now. In
the early years, the GP would have usually worked at a small practice with perhaps
just one other doctor, and they would have been responsible for providing a
gateway for patients to further specialist medical care. As well as treating patients within the
surgery, the GP would have also been expected to carry out home visits after
surgery as well as being on call to deal with emergencies during the night.
The GPs may well have stayed at the same practice for the
duration of their career. They were often
able to build up good relationships with their patients as they were usually
the GP for the whole family. However,
this high workload often meant that many GPs worked under considerable pressure
and had little support. The 1960s saw
GPs being issued with maximum patient lists of 2,000 patients, and measures
were put into place to hire support staff and improve the accessibility of
professional education resources.
GP fundholding changed again in the 1990s, as the government
wanted to provide an incentive for GPs to become more involved with the wider
health system. GPs were able to
commission services on their patient’s behalf and performance related pay was
bought in to motivate the healthcare specialists.
Changes to the NHS in the 2000s meant GPs were required to
register and adhere to further quality care standards, meaning that more and
more time was required to spend on meeting objectives and completing
paperwork. Whilst many GPs felt this could
have a negative impact on the amount of time they can spend with each patient,
having procedures and systems in place should mean that budgets can be managed
more effectively and high standards should be met at all times.
Whilst the day to day role of the GP may have changed
significantly since the 1940s as a result of the introduction of quality and
standards reviews, the ultimate role of an NHS GP is still the same. This is to provide a first point of call for
patients so as to identify and treat common health conditions, plus referring
patients to the relevant secondary healthcare providers.
Whilst many GPs choose to work in a permanent role, others
may prefer to practice as a locum GP.
Further details regarding working as a locum GP or how to register as a
locum can be found at the Locum Select website.
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