Thanks Peter.
Your point is well made. We have recognised the potential for extended roles of the GP, but the word limit was against us!
I think we could go further and point out that training too few/too many GPs is a binary decision but with unequal risk and consequence, in other words, too few GPs and the NHS implodes … train ‘too many’ GPs and the flexible, adaptable, entrepreneurial nature of GPs is that they add value through extended roles, enhanced roles, and intermediate care roles. So you can have too few GPs with apocalyptic consequences … but you can never really have too many GPs!
Hey, if we have enough GPs we may even be able to reconnect with urgent and unscheduled care out of hours.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2012
