Primary care “takes fight to parliament”

Dawn Butler MP, who attended the event

The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) has joined forces with the British Dental Association, the British Medical Association, Community Pharmacy England and the Association for Primary Care Audiology Providers to make the case across parliament for investment in primary care.

At a ‘Moving from crisis to recovery: future of primary care’ parliamentary event hosted earlier 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“, said OFNC member organisation the Association of Optometrists in a press statement.

The statement went on: “Primary care services are the place where primary 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, sponsored by Helen Maguire MP, Liberal Democrat primary care and cancer spokesperson, was attended by 21 MPs, peers and their staff.

The five primary care sectors have issued four calls to action for the government:
• 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

MPs are being asked to urge the 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“.

Helen Maguire MP commented: “I was delighted to sponsor this event and hear directly from organisations across primary care, 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.”

Paul Carroll, OFNC chair, said: “Primary care already has the skills and infrastructure to deliver more care, closer to home. The evidence shows that expanding NHS services such as those delivered in High Street optical practices relieves pressure on hospitals and A&Es, gives patients faster local access and choice, and delivers on the government’s neighbourhood health ambitions. But to succeed we need to see a commitment to proper investment that will make services both resilient and sustainable.

“We continue to work with our primary care partners to ensure that chronic underfunding across sectors is both recognised and addressed,” Paul added.