The NHS used to do something called ‘winter planning’ where providers made plans to make sure that they were able to cope with the expected increase in sick patients that inevitably happen in the winter months. However it seems that services are in a constant state of being overwhelmed and winter planning happens all through the year.
The NHS is in crisis. Long waits for ambulances. Hospitals full to overflowing, not able to discharge patients because of the lack of social care.
General practice is faced with unmanageable workloads, along with a shrinking and exhausted workforce. The Covid-19 pandemic has generated a vast backlog of care which GPs have to manage while patients wait for their hospital appointments.
The British Medical Association has even felt it necessary to publish a guide for GPs called ‘Safe Working in General Practice”. They acknowledge the need for practices to work closely with their PPGs. The paragraph below is taken from this publication.
“Patient Participation Groups (PPGs)
Practice PPGs are a crucial ally and resource for practices. We encourage practices to engage their PPGs, and to discuss openly the challenges being faced by all practices, and specific pressures locally.
The support of and consultation with PPGs is vital in any changes that practices are considering. GMS regulations allow practices to provide “services delivered in the manner determined by the contractor’s practice in discussion with the patient”. PPGs are an important conduit for communicating these changes, and reasons for them, to the wider patient population.
They may also be able to lobby on behalf of practices directly to ICBs, demonstrate patient engagement to ICBs, and give crucial insight into the needs and priorities of the patient population.”
Oxford Patient Network 