GPs: Govt 'meddling in A&E'

Labour said the pressure accident and emergency departments face "is not going away" and it is the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's "job to find solutions."

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "David Cameron and his Health Secretary keep blaming GPs and the 2004 contract for the pressure in A&E despite a clear statement from the NHS Confederation that there is no link between the two.

"In addition, Jeremy Hunt has received official advice identifying other reasons for the pressure, such as the botched introduction of the 111 service and the severe cuts to social care.

"By picking on a convenient political target, the Health Secretary is failing to face up to the real causes of the chaos. That cannot be allowed to continue as the pressure is not going away and it is his job to find solutions."

Read: Jeremy Hunt set to launch a series of reforms to GP service

Read: Hunt to unveil Out of Hours shake-up for GPs

The accident and emergency system has been left unsafe because of "political meddling" and family doctors will not help shore up the service, the British Medical Association GP chairman is expected to warn.

Dr Laurence Buckman will accuse Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of spouting "rubbish" and being more interested in criticising doctors.

The GP leader is expected to say in a speech today: "He (Mr Hunt) does not want to bother with the facts when he can have a bash at those of us who on his own admission are overworked and strained beyond endurance.

"GPs are not prepared to shore up a system that has been rendered unsafe by unwise political meddling."

Dr Buckman's speech comes on the day Mr Hunt prepares to unveil his reforms to the GP service.

Read: Jeremy Hunt set to launch a series of reforms to GP service

Read: Hunt to unveil Out of Hours shake-up for GPs

Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, criticised the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ahead of his speech, for "attacking" GPs, saying:

GPs are set to see a radical revision of their employment contract to incorporate 24-hour responsibility for patients under plans to be announced today by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

In a speech this afternoon he is expected to outline his mission to change the way GPs work, including the new focus being the direct relationship between a GP and their patient.

Read more: Jeremy Hunt set to launch a series of reforms to GP service

Dr John Hughes, a general practitioner from Manchester, said the Government's care reform is a "good idea in theory", but in practice it is totally "unworkable".

He said: "We're seeing twice as many patients as we were six years ago so we are all working to capacity and I'm not sure these proposals will make any difference at all, if anything they may actually worsen waiting times."

"If people have an individual GP that GP has other work to do as well", he added, "we can't be there 24/7 365 days a year, it's simply not physically possible."

Dr Richard Vautrey, Deputy Chair of the British Medical Associations GP Committee has told Daybreak it is a "privilege" for a GP to be able to stay with a patient through the "highs and lows" of their life.

He said: "It's important wherever possible toy develop a relationship with a GP, and a GP values that, one of the great strengths of general practice is what we call continuity of care.

Daybreak's Health Editor Dr Hilary said that people have "lost faith in the family doctor service".

He said: "A&E departments are overloaded by the kind of things that should be sorted out in general practice, the problem is the work the general practice gave up in the 2004 contract negotiated with the Labour Government was a disaster for out of hours care."

Family doctors will face a tough new inspection regime under plans announced by Jeremy Hunt.The Health Secretary will put forward proposals to introduce a Chief Inspector of General Practice.

The new chief inspector will devise and implement a new system so GP practices will be given ratings, such as those used by the schools inspector Ofsted, and will champion patients' interests, officials said.

Speaking on Thursday at a leadership summit held by think-tank The King's Fund, Mr Hunt will divulge plans to implement the "rigorous system of inspection" to ensure that GP practices are providing "effective and responsive care", a Department of Health spokeswoman said.

Mr Hunt will also embellish on plans to provide one-to-one care for elderly patients.

He will say that getting care can be "confusing", especially for older people who need more than one service.