Families and GPs will pay a heavy price for free U-6 care

GPs have just received the new contract governing care of under sixes. It has been described as sweet and sour. It gives a cash injection to practices that are in financial difficulty after disproportionate FEMPI cuts but does not give back grants that will allow rural practice to survive.

It recognises that general practice is the best place to do chronic care like asthma and diabetes, but possibly undervalues the cost of providing this care. A new contract that covers all aspects of GP work is promised. There are, however, negatives.

GPs are asked to give free medical care based on age, not medical or financial need, they are asked to measure children without evidence that it is effective and with few community dieticians to refer to. It will increase pressure on already busy surgeries during the day and out of hours. It removes private fees that help run the practice and replaces them with “fees set unilaterally by the minister”. The NAGP ( National Association of GPs) is not recognised despite the fact that nearly half of GPs are now members.