General Practitioners: Workforce Debate
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Baroness Redfern
Main Page: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Redfern's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(6 years, 9 months ago)
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Lord O’Shaughnessy
I shall have to write to the noble Baroness with the specifics on GP flexibility. However, one of the reasons that GPs take early retirement to take advantage of their pension is that it enables them to work flexibly afterwards.
Baroness Redfern (Con)
My Lords, regarding the workforce, having pharmacists in GP practices means that GPs can focus their skills where they are most needed: diagnosing and treating patients with more complex needs. Does the Minister agree that this not only helps GPs manage demands on their time but helps to ease their workload, while patients have the convenience of being seen by the right professional, improving quality of care and ensuring patient safety?
Lord O’Shaughnessy
My noble friend is absolutely right. As well as our commitment to increase the number of GPs by 5,000, we also have a commitment to increase the number of GP practice staff by 5,000, including 1,500 pharmacists, who provide exactly the kind of support she outlined.