[log in to unmask],Net wrote at 13:17 on 01/03/98
about "Re: Out of hours cover":
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>I am practicularly concerned about ooh as a single handed
>isolated rural GP. If the BMA puts up locum fees by the
>25% being discussed I shall be bankrupt if I take my
>children on a two week self catering holiday to scotland
>this summer, not by the cost of the holiday (£1500) but
>by the cost of the locum which at present will be about
>£2500!
No doctor will benefit from us putting downward pressure on each
other's income.
Rural practitioners, and single-handers in towns clearly need
funding suitably for holiday cover for the benefit of their
patients, and the service, and as a sensible expression of the
occupational health concern which the NHS has for those of us
working for it.
There is of course £60 million to allocate, and a slice of it going
to single-handers would be very appropriate.
I applaud the gesture of £4M toward funding assistants in small
practices which would not otherwise qualify under the SFA rules, but
I would also be the first to say there are problems with that if it
(as has been said, but is nowhere documented) any continuation of
such a scheme would result in salaried practitioners being paid from
staff funding.
The logical approach, as with the introduction of OoH co-op startup
funding, would be to fund the continuation of the scheme with new
money provided it is used appropriately.
The N&E Devon LMC continues to express overwhelming support for the
principle of extending the choice of co-ops for OoH cover into the
hinterland and wilds of Devon. If (as appears to be the case) the
cost of running a co-op there is greater than in Exeter, then
funding should be directed toward it.
The response of a minority of our urban colleagues, in terms of
Jacks and lifeboats, is unfortunately similar to any call to reduce
locum's advised fees, since other doctors are underpaid.
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