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GPs disengaged with their role in CCGs

GPs disengaged with their role in CCGs
2 February 2015



GPs are becoming disengaged with their role in commissioning services claims a report.

Published by The King's Fund and The Nuffield Trust, the report warns that CCGs are becoming unsustainable due to lower management budgets and GP engagement.

BMA GPs committee deputy chair Richard Vautrey (pictured right) said that many of the findings of the report, Risk or reward? The Changing Role of CCGs in General Practice, tallied with research carried out by the association.

GPs are becoming disengaged with their role in commissioning services claims a report.

Published by The King's Fund and The Nuffield Trust, the report warns that CCGs are becoming unsustainable due to lower management budgets and GP engagement.

BMA GPs committee deputy chair Richard Vautrey (pictured right) said that many of the findings of the report, Risk or reward? The Changing Role of CCGs in General Practice, tallied with research carried out by the association.

"All GPs are under huge and growing workload pressures in their practices and many simply don't have the headroom to take part in CCG meetings," he said.

The report is the second of a three-part study in to the development of CCGs, with the latest report drawing on the findings of a survey of 279 GPs.

It also finds that between 2013 and 2014 there was a 7% drop in the number of GPs reporting being "highly engaged" in their CCG work, from 19% in 2013 to 12% in 2014.

The report says that there remains a disparity of ownership and engagement of the CCG, with those in leadership roles likely to feel greater engagement than members.

It says: "There is a growing recognition that general practice is coming under increased pressure, fuelled by a real-terms decrease in funding in 2013/14, and difficulties recruiting and retaining GPs, who recently reported their lowest levels of job satisfaction for a decade.

"Within this context it is unsurprising that a lack of time and capacity in primary care were the most commonly cited barriers to engagement with clinical commissioning during interviews in 2013 and 2014."

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