Lack of funding and staff are frustrating health initiatives: BMA

Doctors across the UK are leading innovative approaches to patient care but are blocked from developing their projects further by lack of funding and staff, according to a new publication launched by the British Medical Association (BMA) today.

The report, 'A to Z of Doctors Making a Difference', contains a selection of 44 case studies demonstrating how doctors across the UK are pushing ahead with new projects to improve services for their patients. New medical treatments, better access and choice for patients and novel schemes to reduce waiting are among the latest initiatives, the BMA said.

The publication, which has a foreword by Prime Minister Tony Blair, provides a snapshot of some of the pioneering work that doctors and their teams are carrying out in hospitals, health centres and GP surgeries all over the UK.

The report found that with extra resources, thousands more patients could benefit from such innovative schemes. Interviews with the doctors reveal that nine out of 10 wish to extend their initiative in the future, yet four out of five face barriers that prevent them from developing their projects further. Just over half (57%) of the doctors face funding difficulties and one in three report a lack of staff stopped them from extending their service.

On the back of the report, the BMA has urged the government to involve doctors when making decisions on how new money for the NHS should be spent.

Launching the report, Mr James Johnson, BMA Chairman, said: "We take you through the letters of the alphabet to highlight the innovative approaches doctors are taking to improve services for their patients. What is clear from these examples is that doctors are not standing still and accepting the status quo. They are continually searching for new ways to give patients faster and more accessible high quality diagnosis and treatment.

"A recurring theme throughout the report is how much more doctors could do for their patients with extra resources. The NHS has benefited from significant investment in recent years but only sustained and targeted funding will ensure that any new money delivers further improvements."

He added: "We urge the government to talk to doctors not accountants. We've got good examples of what works and doctors are eager to explore new ways of delivering high quality care for patients. Doctors must be involved in deciding on how any new money for the NHS should be spent."

Some of the case studies include: Dr Ann Sullivan and her team from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital who have set up a project to increase HIV testing in local African communities GPs; and Dr Richard Haigh, a consultant at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, who has fought for the introduction of arthritis drugs to treat some of his patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis. Although expensive, taking the drugs early on can help avoid painful and costly joint replacement in the future.

(gmcg)