Latest news with #GPappointments
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Southern Isle of Man GP appointments suspended for training
Afternoon routine GP appointments have been suspended at three practices as doctors attend training consultations will be available between 12:30 and 18:00 BST at the Isle of Man's Ballasalla, Castletown and Southern training was previously scheduled for early April, but had to be rescheduled due to "unforeseen circumstances".Manx Care said anyone who needed a doctor urgently should ring their surgery to speak to an on-call GP, or dial 999 in an emergency. However the practices would remain open to make future routine appointments, request test results or order repeat healthcare provider said the Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS) will also operate as usual from 18: medical services available include the minor injuries and illnesses unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital, the minor ailments scheme run by community pharmacies and Specsavers' minor eye conditions Care encouraged residents to "choose well" during the period and "attend the health and care setting that is appropriate for their condition". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Extra funding for primary care is welcome, but isn't enough
As a GP, while I warmly welcome any injection of funding into primary care for all the reasons Wes Streeting has mentioned (quality of healthcare delivery, patient experience, earlier intervention reducing pressure on strained and more expensive hospital services), I question whether his recent investments will actually achieve this (Wes Streeting: I will defend the tax rises funding 8.3m GP appointments, 6 May). There is more money going into core general practice this year. But GPs are also employers, and the vast majority of their expenses are on staff. They are not exempt from national insurance contribution rises, and in fact the recent increase in funding will just about cover the NIC increase – this is unfortunately a case of the government giving with one hand and taking with the other. Improved premises are absolutely essential, but they come with increased service charges for practices. These are not paid centrally, but out of the same budget that pays staff salaries and that ultimately provides appointments. The result is that shiny new buildings mean less money to provide appointments for patients rather than more. If we really want to increase the number of appointments, we need a really significant injection of money into frontline general practice to cover these hidden increases in expenses. Funding has fallen so much over the last 10 years, but a big increase is what is required if we are to create a health service that functions well and efficiently. GPs desperately want to do more and see more patients (this is why we trained for all those years), but our hands are tied if we don't have sufficient funds to provide these and address supplied Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
STEPHEN DAISLEY: Findlay cut through the FM's hubris like a bushman with a machete
Off-peak rail travel and 100,000 extra GP appointments. Those were the two headlines from the SNP 's latest programme for government. As best as I can tell, they're not linked. You can travel to your doctor's surgery by any method of your choosing, though you'd be wise to avoid the A96. They're still not fully dualling that. The programme for government speech is sometimes called Holyrood's answer to the King's Speech. It has one advantage, at least for the king, in that he's not required to be there. Nor, apparently, are SNP MSPs. The separatist benches were, in keeping with the content of the remarks, noticeably empty. The First Minister's annual address forgoes pomp and circumstance and outlines the legislation his government will be introducing in the coming 12 months. It's nice that he gives the Supreme Court a heads up on its future caseload. Despite the thinness of the gruel he was slopping down, or perhaps because of it, John Swinney was a chipper wee fellow. He assured the chamber that 'a corner has been turned', though when you U-turn as often as this government does everything becomes one big circle. It's a wonder the man doesn't get dizzy. But he knows how to read polling numbers and sees that his government is back on track for another term in power after next year's devolved elections. (If his mob can get re-elected with this record, you have to wonder what they've devolved to.) You could tell he was getting carried away with himself because he promised to take forward his programme in the 'same spirit' as the budget process, in which 'four parties were able to come together to negotiate in good faith'. Swinney is not one of life's natural negotiators. If he'd been at Versailles, the treaty would still be at the draft stage. When he's boasting about compromise, it's because he figures he's already won. Russell Findlay cut through the hubris like a bushman swinging a machete. 'No wonder one in three of his own MSPs couldn't be bothered to turn up to listen to this,' he spat. He went right for the most attractive promise, a dramatic increase in GP consultations, reminding everyone that a similar promise was trotted out eight years ago by the Nationalists but came to nothing. The Tory leader's rebuttal was met with snarls from across the way, especially when he objected to plans to splash more cash on 'the economic case for independence'. 'He's not going to find one because there isn't one,' he jabbed. 'I see my appeal for common ground hasn't made much headway with Russell Findlay,' the First Minister riposted, with mock discouragement. Swinney prefers verbal brawling to all that cross-party kumbaya business and set about ripping into the 'billion-pound flaw' in Findlay's call for tax cuts. Anas Sarwar roared to life with a thunderous volley of blows against the SNP leader. Quite why he chose this exact moment to come out swinging, I've no idea but the belated show of gumption is welcome. 'Is that it?' the Labour leader queried, letting the question linger in the air long enough to prompt some awkward shifting on the SNP benches. Speaking of which, he also noted the sparse numbers behind Swinney, cruelly adding that although Nicola Sturgeon had turned up to Holyrood for an event that day, she wasn't in the chamber to hear her old pal's speech. Sarwar confirmed his agreement with all the policies Swinney had 'nicked from Labour', quipping that this was 'not the borrowing powers I thought the SNP had in mind'. He was otherwise unconvinced, remarking that: 'After nearly two decades in government, if the SNP had a good idea we'd have heard it by now.' Savage stuff, but a pity we had to wait till Labour was so down in the doldrums to hear it. If Swinney has grown overconfident it's because his opponents have been underperforming for too long.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Swinney accused of ‘treading water' over Government plans for the next year
First Minister John Swinney came under fire from opposition leaders and campaigners – despite promising what he insisted was a 'programme for a better Scotland'. With a year to go to the Holyrood election, the SNP leader came to Holyrood to announce his programme for government, promising 100,000 more GP appointments and the scrapping of peak-time rail fares 'for good'. But with similar commitments having already been made by Scottish Labour, Anas Sarwar accused the First Minister of having 'nicked' the policies. Mr Sarwar quipped: 'It's not exactly the borrowing powers I thought the SNP had in mind.' On the commitment to offer more GP appointments, Dr Iain Morrison, the chair of BMA Scotland's GP committee said: 'It is a drop in the ocean when you consider GP practices in Scotland deliver 650,000 appointments every week.' Dr Morrison added, on the issue of access to GPs, the 'rhetoric on this is failing to match the reality' from the Scottish Government. He said: 'There seems to be no difficulty in building up expectations that access to GPs will improve, but the solutions do not seem to be as easily forthcoming, which will leave GPs deeply frustrated.' The comments came as campaigners at Oxfam Scotland accused the Scottish Government of 'treading water while the storms of poverty, inequality and the climate crisis rage.' Jamie Livingstone, head of the charity in Scotland, blasted: 'This programme for government is too quiet on inequality, too soft on polluters and too slow on change.' John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, was also critical. Mr Swinney has repeatedly made clear his desire to end child poverty, and the programme for government set out that the Government would consult on and develop a new plan for tackling this. Mr Swinney said this would outline the actions to be taken 'to keep us on the journey to meet our poverty reduction targets for 2030' – when the number of children living in relative poverty should be reduced to 10% or less. But Mr Dickie stated: 'This programme for government lacks the scale and urgency needed to meet statutory targets never mind achieve the FM's ambition to eradicate child poverty altogether. 'We will need to see a rapid ratcheting up of investment, including a substantive boost to the Scottish child payment in line with what independent experts say is needed if targets are to be met.' Stephen Boyd, director of the IPPR Scotland think tank, said: 'John Swinney identified the right strategic priorities but failed to provide sufficient substance on how rapid and significant progress on child poverty, the economy, climate change and public services would be delivered over the coming year.' The comments came as Mr Swinney insisted he was putting a 'renewed and stronger NHS' at the heart of his Government's plans for the next 12 months. Mr Swinney accepted the difficulty many face in getting GP appointments can cause 'deep frustration' in what he said was 'described as the 8am lottery'. To tackle that, he promised 'an extra 100,000 appointments in GP surgeries', with the SNP leader going on to add these would be 'focused on key risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking'. Meanwhile, he said the move to scrap peak-time rail fares for good from September 2025 would form part of the 'package of cost-of-living support' offered by the Scottish Government. A pilot project had already seen peak-time rail fares in Scotland scrapped, leaving travellers paying the cheaper, off-peak prices regardless of when they travelled. Mr Swinney said 'severe budget pressures' meant this policy could not be continued, and it was ended less than a year ago in September 2024. But, on Tuesday, he told MSPs: 'Given the work we have done to get Scotland's finances in a stronger position, and hearing also the calls from commuters, from climate activists and from the business community, I can confirm that, from September 1 this year, peak rail fares in Scotland will be scrapped for good. His programme for government also promised more money for the Acorn carbon capture and storage project planned for the north east of Scotland. While the Scottish Government has previously pledged £80 million for this, he said he would 'remove that cap and increase the amount of Scottish funding that is available' – although this will only happen if the project is given the go ahead by the UK Government. Overall he told MSPs at Holyrood that his plans amounted to a 'programme for a better Scotland'. The First Minister said: 'Centred on delivery, providing hope, it is a programme that seeks what is best for Scotland, a programme for government that gets our nation on track for success.' But Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said the SNP Government had already failed to keep its commitments to increase GP numbers – saying that on this issue 'no one will believe' the First Minister. The Tory said: 'This flimsy programme for government is just more of the same from the SNP and will do little to restore public trust. 'John Swinney is the politician who has failed to deliver for the past 18 years, the politician who has wasted more public money than anyone else, the politician who is now desperately trying to clear up his own mess. 'John Swinney can't possibly be the solution because he has caused the problems.' Similarly, Mr Sarwar said: 'After nearly two decades in power, if the SNP had any ideas they would have delivered them by now. 'The party and the man who created this mess can't be the ones to fix it.'
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Swinney says he offers a ‘programme for a better Scotland'
John Swinney promised Scots will benefit from 100,000 more GP appointments as he announced his 'programme for a better Scotland' – which will also see peak-time rail fares scrapped 'for good'. The Scottish First Minister set out his Programme for Government, detailing the work ministers will do over the coming 12 months. But with the next Holyrood elections being held in a year's time on May 7 2026, two of his keynote announcements – on GP appointments and ending peak-time rail fares – echo commitments already made by Scottish Labour. Claiming the SNP had 'nicked' the policies, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: 'It's not exactly the borrowing powers I thought the SNP had in mind.' Mr Sarwar's comments came after the First Minister insisted he was putting a 'renewed and stronger NHS' at the heart of his plans for the next 12 months. Mr Swinney accepted the difficulty many face in getting GP appointments can cause 'deep frustration' in what he said was 'described as the 8am lottery'. To tackle that he promised 'an extra 100,000 appointments in GP surgeries', with the SNP leader going on to add these would be 'focused on key risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking'. Meanwhile, he said the move to scrap peak-time rail fares for good from September 2025 was part of a 'package of cost-of-living support' offered by the Scottish Government. These include policies Scots already benefit from such as free university tuition, free prescriptions and council tax and water bills that are, on average, lower than those paid by residents south of the border. A pilot project had already seen peak-time rail fares in Scotland scrapped, leaving travellers paying the cheaper, off-peak prices regardless of when they travelled. However, Mr Swinney said 'severe budget pressures' meant this policy could not be continued, and it was ended less than a year ago in September 2024. But Mr Swinney said: 'Given the work we have done to get Scotland's finances in a stronger position, and hearing also the calls from commuters, from climate activists and from the business community, I can confirm that, from September 1 this year, peak rail fares in Scotland will be scrapped for good.' He added that this was 'a decision that will put more money in people's pockets and mean less CO2 is pumped into our skies'. On ending child poverty, something the Scottish First Minister has declared as one of his key priorities, he said over the next year the government would consult on and develop a new Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan for 2026-31. Mr Swinney said this would outline the actions to be taken 'to keep us on the journey to meet our poverty reduction targets for 2030' – when the number of children living in relative poverty should be reduced to 10% or less. The new plan will 'focus on reducing household costs, boosting incomes through social security, and helping more people into fair and sustainable jobs', the First Minister added. His Programme for Government also promised more money for the Acorn carbon capture and storage project planned for the north east of Scotland. While the Scottish Government has previously pledged £80 million for this, he said he would 'remove that cap and increase the amount of Scottish funding that is available' – although this will only happen if the project is given the go ahead by the UK Government. He urged the Labour administration at Westminster to give support 'not only to carbon capture projects in England, but also to the Acorn project' – with the First Minister adding this would help with efforts to secure a future for the recently closed oil refinery at Grangemouth. His comments came as he warned that 'new threats are emerging that have the potential to cause extensive damage to the Scottish economy' – with Mr Swinney referencing here the impact that tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump could have on 'many Scottish exporters to the USA'. Speaking about the 'looming economic challenge', the First Minister promised a new fund would be created to help with the 'commercialisation of research projects with significant economic potential'. Overall he told MSPs at Holyrood that his plans amounted to a 'programme for a better Scotland'. He added: 'Centred on delivery, providing hope, it is a programme that seeks what is best for Scotland, a Programme for Government that gets our nation on track for success.'
