To: Jonathan Ashworth
Support your GP or risk losing them
The NHS matters to voters. The current media attack on GPs over lack of face-to-face appointments is unfair and unfounded.
The push for more appointments to be virtual came from the government long before covid-19 emerged, and during the pandemic both NHS England and the then health secretary, Matt Hancock, pushed for all patients to be triaged virtually, with Hancock even saying that all appointments should be remote by default. Despite the current lack of any restrictions, the pandemic is not over and many surgeries still have restrictions in place to protect their vulnerable patients and staff.
Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, has chosen to echo the media criticism rather than stand up for our GPs and his lack of support confirms that it is part of the strategy to turn the publicly funded NHS into a business that can be sold off to private companies.
Putting a banker in charge of the NHS indicates the direction the government is taking and the NHS bill will be the final nail in the coffin of our once truly world beating service.
The public needs to be fully informed of the intentions of the current government. Please support this petition.
Why is this important?
The accusations of loss of face-to-face appointments with GPs have been clearly refuted by medical leaders, with data showing they are unfounded. And while some patients do have poor and upsetting experiences that are clearly bad practice, the majority of us are satisfied with the care provided.
Making hardworking family doctors scapegoats for years of government failings is completely unacceptable. GPs and patients are on the same team, and the media attempts to drive a wedge between them is dishonest and destructive.
2 surgeries are closing a week, 3 GPs are leaving every day due to the unbearable pressure and suicide is 4 times the national average. We need action now to stop the loss of this vital and valued public service.
The aim is to run down services to drive patients into private care and private health insurance and demoralised and browbeaten doctors into leaving the NHS.
