Helen Salisbury: Improved access is meaningless without increased capacity

Abstract

We have a capacity problem in general practice. There are too few GPs, either as partners or employed, for the number of patients who need looking after. This is despite there being GPs unable to find work and practices that would like to employ them but lack the money or space.1 Unsurprisingly, capacity and access are a priority for the government—perhaps because nothing says that the system is broken quite as effectively as an 8 am queue for appointments snaking around the block. Last year’s primary care network contract included extra payments related to this, with a number of boxes that needed to be ticked to earn them.2 Unfortunately, the focus was entirely on ease of access …