BMA proposes greater role for community-based medicine

A future picture of care outside hospitals where, alongside normal GP surgeries, patients have access to a new-style community-based resource equipped with diagnostic facilities, outreach specialist services and social services staff, is at the centre of the British Medical Association’s (BMA’s) submission to the Government’s White Paper consultation ‘Your Health Your Care Your Say’.

While preserving GP practice-based care for the majority of patients’ needs, these new neighbourhood centres could also have other clinical services such as physiotherapy and dietetics, plus information on health conditions and advice for patients on how to manage their illness. On the social care side there could be staff offering advice on employment and welfare benefits as well.

The BMA response to the White Paper consultation said: “We see a key role for practice based commissioning in delivering these and other benefits. If properly implemented it could give groups of clinicians across sectors the ability to redesign services, establish more efficient care pathways, reduce referrals and offer patients a greater say and more choice in their journey through the system.”

Planning the reorganisation of services would include not just GPs but doctors working in secondary care and in public health roles. All clinicians affected by service redesign should be involved. The BMA submission says the shift of work from hospitals to the community would need to be reflected in the training of junior doctors.

In its Executive Summary the BMA submission said: “The BMA sees considerable potential benefits for both patient and professionals in reforming care outside hospitals and in bringing more services currently provided in hospitals closer to the community. However, we also recognise that, to be most effective, many specialist services will have to remain in the hospital setting.”

(GB)