Primary care


April 2008 Introduction
Primary health care covers generally the services coordinated by general practitioners (GPs). A series of government documents has meant that it has been growing in importance in recent years.

General Practictioners Committee (GPC)
The GPC is a BMA Committee with "authority to deal with all matters affecting NHS GPs." It represents all doctors irrespective of membership of the BMA and as such is recognised as the sole negotiating body for general practice by the Department of Health.
Visit the GPC website here http://bmaweb3/ap.nsf/Content/Hubgeneralpractitionerscommittees

There are a number of guidance notes here including: information on guidance to trainees, medical certificates and reports, practice premises and referral to complementary therapists. There are also useful links to relevant Department of Health circulars, GP-UK archive, UK Primary Care and other web resources.

The Statement of Fees and Allowances (known as the Red Book), which covered Terms and Conditions of Service for GPs, has been superseded by the Statement of Financial Entitlements (known as the SFE) and has been 'multiplied' as a result of devolution.

Visit the SFE for England website here http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/10/75/17/04107517.pdf (PDF format, 250 pages)

Visit the SFE for Scotland website here http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/pca/PCA2004(M)13.pdf (PDF format, 280 pages) Attached to a PCA(M) circular

Visit the SFE for Wales website here http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites/documents/480/SFE2005%2D06Final%2DSignedVersion%2Epdf (PDF format, 244 pages)

Visit the SFE for Northern Ireland website here http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/hss/gp_contracts/documents/gms_statement_financial_entitlements.pdf (PDF format, 243 pages)

The BMA Staff Library has a reference copy of these, plus reference copies of the Red Book (for historical enquiries).

Print resources
Books on the management and organisation of primary health care can be found in the Professional Zone at W 64. There is a section on GP computing at W 89.

There are a number of journals in the collection as well as others online only:

Archives of Family Medicine
American Medical Association journal web site includes the most recent issue and back numbers to 1995:
Visit the website here http://archfami.ama-assn.org/

Australian Family Physician
Australian College of GeneralPractitioners, ISSN 0300-8495
Visit the website here http://www.racgp.org.au/publications/afp_online.asp

British Journal of General Practice
Royal College of General Practitioners, ISSN 0960-1643
This site offers the current contents page with selective full text articles and an index
Visit the website here http://www.rcgp.org.uk/journal/index.asp?member=no

Equip Magazine
Equip is the organisation responsible for the education of General Practitioners in North Essex and their staff:
Visit the website here http://www.equip.ac.uk/

Family Practice
Oxford University Press, ISSN 0263-2136
Aaimed at practitioners, teachers and researchers in family medicine, general practice and primary care:
Visit the website here http://fampra.oupjournals.org/

The International Journal of General Practice and Primary Care
Priory Lodge Education
Online journal with contributions of family medicine news, and international review articles
fax: 0151 606 1812
Visit the website here http://www.priory.com/gp.htm

Web resources
Audit Commission: General Practice in England report (2002)
Considers the state of general practice in England in 2002, reviewing evidence on current strengths and weaknesses. Evidence on the current strengths and weaknesses identified in areas including workloads, waiting times, quality of patient care and funding,
Consult the report here http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports/MANAGEMENT-PAPER.asp?CategoryID=&ProdID=AB73DAF2-F18B-49ac-8009-0EF55D21A146

RCGP fact sheets on UK general practice
Data on GPs including UK numbers, types, birthplace, sex, age, and working patterns. Generated from data collected 1985-2004 and published in June 2004.
Visit the website here http://www.rcgp.org.uk/services__contacts/information_services/is_publications/fact_sheets.aspx

Primary Care Internet Guide : Family practice, family medicine, general practice
Produced by the Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care at the University of Bergen. Many useful international links:
Visit the website here http://www.uib.no/isf/guide/family.htm

ReSearch GP
This interesting site uses a robot to index over 23 UK and Irish GP Department web pages. It covers research projects:
Visit the website here http://researchgp.sghms.ac.uk/

Other organisations and libraries
Institute of General Practice, University of Exeter
School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health Sciences,
University of Exeter,
Barrack Road,
Exeter
EX2 5DW
tel: 01392 403020
fax: 01392 432223

First postgraduate Department of General Practice in UK (1973)

Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice
1st floor
19, Buckingham Street
London WC2N 6EF
tel: 020 7930 7228
fax: 020 7930 7224
email : enquiry@jcptgp.org.uk
Visit the website here http://www.jcptgp.org.uk

Statutory body which issues certificates to GPs who have successfully completed vocational training in the UK

National Association of Sessional GPs (NASGP) (formerly known as
The National Association of Non-Principals (NANP))
PO Box 188
Chichester
West Sussex
United Kingdom
PO19 2ZA
fax: 01243 536428
email info@nanp.org.uk
Visit the website here http://www.nasgp.org.uk/

Seeks to "act as a voice and a resource for all NHS General Practitioners who work beyond the traditional model of GPs as 'principals'

Current aim is 'to facilitate the promotion of high quality, cost-effective prescribing through a co-ordinated and prioritised programme of activities aimed at supporting all relevant professionals and senior managers working in the new NHS'. The site offers a guide to prescribing support for GPs.
Visit the website here http://www.npc.co.uk

NHS Alliance
Goodbody's Mill
Albert Road
Retford
DN22 6JD
tel: 01777 869080
fax: 01777 869081
Visit the website here http://www.nhsalliance.org/

Represents most Primary Care Groups and a number of primary care organisations in other parts of the United Kingdom but most of its members are individual GPs, nurses, PAMs, managers and lay board members.

Royal College of General Practitioners
14 Princes Gate
Hyde Park
London
SW7 1PU
tel: 20 7581 3232
fax: 020 7225 3047
Visit the website here http://www.rcgp.org.uk/

Information on a range of general practice related topics from audit to telemedicine and world health issues

© British Medical Association 2008

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