A return to ‘old-fashioned GP values’ could improve the consistency of care for older people.

Tina Watkin, a trustee of Bradford and District Senior Power and secretary of Bradford University of the Third Age, welcomes the new contract announced recently between GPs and the Government, which will mean every person aged 75 and over being assigned a named, accountable GP to ensure patients receive co-ordinated care.

“I think it will give older patients better confidence, that they are not just on a conveyor belt. They will have dignity and feel they are respected,” says Tina.

Under the agreement, GPs will also take on more responsibility for out-of-hours care, with a commitment to monitor the quality of out-of-hours services used by their patients.

There will be an ‘enhanced service’ for patients with complex health needs to avoid them being unnecessarily admitted to hospital or A&E.

Emergency care departments will have easier telephone access to GPs to decide whether or not a patient needs to be admitted, and new IT systems will improve the ability of patients to book appointments online and to access their summary medical record.

Tina believes the agreement would also improve consistency for patients. She says older people may also feel less embarrassed about talking about their health issues to the same person, rather than having to tell different doctors. Tina suggests this may prompt more elderly people to seek help rather than suffer alone.

“I think people will perhaps not sit at home and suffer, they will go to the doctor knowing they can see that specific person,” says Tina.

Peter Midgley, 80, of Bolton Woods, says: “I would rather go to the GP than go to hospital, I always have done.”

But Peter says having the same GP “makes no difference” to him.

“I just ring up and make an appointment and go and see them. I can see the benefits, but our GPs more or less know everybody,” he says.

Pam James, who runs Open House For Seniors in Bradford and Ilkley, says: “I think it is worth a try. Whether it actually works only time will tell, but I think it is a good thing and hopefully it will work.”

Mashud Haque, 72, from Bradford, welcomes the scheme. “I think it is a good idea. You can latch on to that individual, you have somebody who you can relate to.”

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director of Age UK says: “New measures that help ensure older people receive healthcare that meets their individual needs are long overdue.

“Steps that lead to people receiving better quality and more joined-up healthcare are to be welcomed. In practice we know this means making sure every older person has access to high-quality, integrated healthcare that provides holistic support and also treats them with dignity.

“Many older people living with frailty will value the availability of home visits, face-to-face appointments and accessible surgeries, as well as knowing their care should be more joined up.

“We very much look forward to hearing more detail of what this announcement will mean in practice.”

Dr Abigail Winter, from Cliffe Avenue Surgery, Baildon, part of the Windhill Green medical practice, says it is something they already try to promote within their practice as they believe in continuity of care for vulnerable elderly patients.

The British Medical Association, which negotiated for doctors, said the changes would cut unnecessary targets, reduce bureaucratic box-ticking and give doctors more time to focus on the needs of their patients.”

Dr Clare Gerada, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, says: “This is welcome news for patients and for GPs as it will help us to get back to our real job of providing care where it is most needed, rather than more box-ticking.

“GPs need to have the time to listen to their patients, discuss the issues that are important to them, and be free to use professional judgment and medical evidence to provide the best personalised care possible, according to the patient’s individual needs.

“Preventing disease is a very important part of a GP’s role.

“But expecting hard-pressed GPs – who are already struggling to cope with spiralling workloads with ever-decreasing resources – to fill in questionnaires and randomly screen the wider population for very specific diseases is not an effective way of caring for patients or a cost-effective use of NHS money that could be better used elsewhere.”