Government Primary Care Plan will improve Maldon GPs

The Government announced a Primary Care Recovery Plan with a priority to cut waiting lists.

There will be an investment over two years per practice to provide updated tech for GP’s which will make it easier for residents to get a response on the same day rather than experiencing long wait times.

The funding will mean GP’s will have better phone systems and digital access so more issues can be dealt with online with the hopes of freeing up phone lines.

The government also hope to build capacity by offering an extra 26,000 other clinicians and 50 million extra appointments across the UK by March 2024.

Sir John Whittingdale said issues with access to GP and pharmaceutical services is often raised by people in the district and he is in support of the Governments plan.

Multiple GP’s in the area are already in the process of upgrading their telephone systems to residents should start to see improvements to the service soon.

Sir John Whittingdale said: “I strongly welcome the Government’s new Primary Care Recovery Plan, which will improve access to GP and pharmaceutical services- an issue that is often raised with me by constituents and one I regularly campaign for locally.

“I know that several GPs in the constituency are already in the processing of upgrading their telephone systems, so I am pleased that the Government has allocated the equivalent of £35,000 per practice to provide new telephone technology for all GPs, and extra training for staff answering calls.

“These improvements will end the ‘8am rush’ for appointments and make it easier for patients to speak to someone and book an appointment on the same day.

“Also announced was an additional £645 million to enable pharmacists to provide treatment for common conditions and contraception without a doctor's appointment, and the introduction of self-referral for key services, including physiotherapy, hearing tests, and podiatry, enabling patients to access these services without seeing their GP first.”