Left to right, BDA Chair, Eddie Crouch, Sadik Al-Hassan MP and Makyle Khan, a dental student at Liverpool, and part of our Future Leaders Programme.
We’ve joined forces with friends at the British Medical Association, Community Pharmacy England, Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee, and the Association for Primary Care Audiology Providers to make the case for investment into primary care across Parliament.
At the “Moving from Crisis to Recovery” Future of Primary Care Parliamentary event hosted this week, MPs were reminded that primary care is the foundation of the health and care system and the front door to the NHS. It is where the public go for advice, treatment, and referrals to more specialised care if needed.
Primary care services are the place where patient relationships with healthcare are built, ensuring continuity of care which is critical for prevention and treatment. It is vital that this essential part of the NHS is protected and built upon for the future.
MPs were warned that if primary care continues to be under-prioritised and underfunded compared with the rest of the NHS and relative to its costs, access and patient health will continue to be put at risk.
The event, which was sponsored by Helen Maguire MP, Liberal Democrat Primary Care and Cancer Spokesperson, was well-attended with 21MPs, peers, and their staff present on the day, and many more in touch before the event.
Our four calls to action for Government are:
- Use primary care to prioritise care closer to home and patient choice
- Urgently invest in primary care to future-proof the NHS
- Give primary care a role to shape the future of Neighbourhood Health Services under Government direction
- Improve digital infrastructure and IT connectivity for efficient community care.
“I was delighted to sponsor this event and hear directly from organisations across primary care,” said Helen Maguire MP the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Primary Care and Cancer. “All of whom underscored an important message: primary care is the front door to our NHS, but is under increasing pressure.”
“The Government must provide comprehensive investment to secure a sustainable future for the NHS and its primary care services."
MPs are being asked to urge Government to support these objectives and to take a series of actions to call for direct political intervention to secure a long-term sustainable future for the primary care sector.
“We’ve been told that primary care is heart of the NHS,” said our chair Eddie Crouch, “that it’s the front door. And that now is the time to shift the focus from hospital to the high street.
“Soundbites are all well and good. But what tens of millions of our patients need is real commitment, underpinned by sustainable investment.”
Our ally Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England said: “Primary care is the NHS’ first line of defence, yet it has been left underfunded for far too long.”
“The united call from across primary care is a clear message to Government” added David Hewlett, Director of Policy and Strategy at the Association for Primary Care Audiology Providers. “If Ministers want to protect access to vital healthcare, keep people well for longer, and deliver care closer to home, they must invest urgently in the services that the public rely on every day,”
We’ve already brought nearly 120,000 supporters together to fight for fair funding for this service. We’re continuing to spell out the real reform must go hand in hand with sustainable investment.