Strip Welsh health boards of responsibilities, GPs hear
A GP has argued that Welsh health boards should be stripped of their responsibilities.
HARRIS: 'Something has got to be done to relieve GPs from failing health boards'
Bridgend GP Ian Harris made the call at last weekend’s Welsh LMCs conference.
GPs at the conference agreed it should be taken as a ‘reference’ – advisory, but not binding on policy, after considering the implications of another NHS reorganisation.
Dr Harris put his argument to the conference in song, from Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music: 'Where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns. Don't bother. They're here.'
He said: ‘Something has got to be done to relieve GPs from failing health boards. There are seven health boards in primary care, seven interminable tiers of management interference.’
He said the primary care functions of the health boards should be replaced by a Wales-wide primary care organisation that was fully funded.
BMA Welsh GPs committee deputy chair David Bailey said: 'We originally thought that we would advise rejection on this on the basis of do we really want another reorganisation.
'We've discussed it and Ian is making a very coherent argument that we should look at this as a possibility.
'I would, however, rather than make this official policy, we take this as a reference.’
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