NHS GPs vote to stop home visits because of time constraints

Under current rules, GPs are required to visit patients at home when they are considered to be too ill to travel to their surgery or hospital.

Home visits have been a cornerstone of GP practice for decades, currently over 10,000 are carried out across England every day. However, in a controversial move, regional health bosses have voted 54 per cent in favour of scrapping the rule.

GP staff shortages and waiting times have been in crisis for years and the NHS is working to improving people’s access to their family doctors. However, doctors are concerned about unsustainable workloads and pension regulations, which are leaving them out of pocket, and more are currently retiring than are being replaced.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, last month promised to employ 6,000 more GPs and generate 59 million more appointments each year during the next Parliament.

Chair of the British Medical Association Dr Richard Vautrey, said the modern GP does not currently have the capacity to travel around to see patients. He did however say that ceasing home visits would only affect a small minority of patients and would improve conditions for the majority.

He said “Patients who can be treated only at home will still need to be seen – and NHS England will need to ensure this happens outside of the GP contract.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Freephone : 0800 304 738