Black Alert for General Practice

This campaign was launched in November 2019.  All resources relating to the campaign have since been updated and can be found in our Managing Workload resources.

November 2019:  Cambridgeshire GP practices are under unprecedented pressure.

Our population is rising every year. We only receive funding for 85 out of every 100 patients we care for. Our patients are consulting at a greater frequency and with a greater complexity than ever, representing the greatest rise in volume of care within any sector of the NHS. This increase has been matched with a decrease in GP numbers and staff, and now cuts to financial resources for practices too.

Against this backdrop Cambs LMC is declaring a Black Alert for Cambridgeshire general practice.

What does this mean for practices, for patients, and for the immediate future?

In this climate, it is crucial that the safe provision of core services to patients remains GPs’ overriding core priority.

Our GPs have a duty of care to provide quality and safe care to their patients. Despite cuts to their practices, against ever increasing pressures, our GPs’ prime responsibility must always be to fulfill their contractual and GMC professional duty of care to patients seeking their services.

As CQC registered providers, our practices are also under specific obligation to review and take appropriate measures, if workload is putting patient safety or quality in jeopardy.

Let us be clear: this is not about restricting GP services. It is about protecting our practices and GPs to help them prioritise providing safe, quality and accessible care to patients.

Our campaign will proactively help practices to manage their workload and work efficiently within safe and competent limits.  We will be encouraging our practices to undertake their own practice action plans to check the state of their health.