Primary care bodies jointly welcome the Spending Review

The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC), alongside a number of primary care professions, has together welcomed last week’s Spending Review, highlighting the Government’s commitment to shifting care from hospitals to community.

A joint statement issued yesterday (16 June) was co-signed by chairs and chief executives of the General Practitioner’s Committee England, the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, Community Pharmacy England and The National Association for Primary Care Audiology Providers.

In the statement, the bodies noted the Government’s commitment to shifting care from hospitals to the community, moving the focus from sickness to prevention.

“Primary care providers will be instrumental in driving this reform and are enthusiastic about working together to support these critical shifts,” they said.

However, the bodies emphasised that due to the pressures currently faced by all parts of primary care, there is little capacity to deliver these reforms “without further investment in primary care.”

In the statement, the bodies explained that “due to a historic focus on specialist settings, bureaucracy, and poor workforce planning by NHS England – as well as funding cuts to some of our sectors – it is clear there is little capacity to deliver the reforms needed.”

They highlight: “The decision regarding allocations within the Department of Health and Social Care budget is the single opportunity in this Parliamentary cycle to transform investment into primary care. Of the1.5million patients treated by the NHS each day, over three quarters of these interactions take place within the primary care setting: their sole NHS experience.”

The bodies said they look forward to further details and “meaningful actions” being announced, adding they urge the Government to work closely with them “to begin the long-term process to rebuild primary care and help deliver on the Government’s priorities for the NHS as part of the 10-YearHealth Plan.”

Read the statement in full.