reporter, jim reed. so i got your message just now about the pain in your knee, yeah? the pandemic has changed the way many of us access a gp. for some, telephone and online consultations have replaced face to face appointments. under these plans the government says £250 million will be made available to boost access to family doctors in england. it s meant to pay for more temporary or locum gps, as well as support staff like physiotherapists. there is a promise to cut some red tape and more cash for security at a time when doctors say they are dealing with high levels of abuse. social distancing rules for gps are also being reviewed, which could allow more patient in waiting rooms. in a statement the health secretary said, i am determined to ensure patients can see their gp in the way they want, no matter where they live. the new cash for gps though is part of a £5 billion covid
to see more patients on site. the doctors union the bma has criticised the plans, saying it shows a government out of touch with the scale of the crisis on the ground, and warned patients will continue to struggle to book appointments. despite recruitment drives to bring more gps into the profession, numbers of family doctors have continued to fall, with fewer than 27,000 on the medical register. that s 2,000 less than five years ago. let s get more from our health correspondent, jim reed. so, i got your message just now about the pain in your knee, yeah? the pandemic has changed the way many of us access a gp. for some, telephone and online consultations have replaced face to face appointments. under these plans, the government says £250 million will be made available to boost access to family doctors in england. it s meant to pay for more temporary
good morning. summerare summer are foggy to watch out for it this morning across south west england. for most of us it will be a cloudy day with limited sunshine. heavy rain spreading south across scotland into northern ireland and northern england and later, followed by strong winds. details coming up. good morning. it s thursday, the 14th of october. our main story. gp practices in england are being offered an extra £250 million this winter to help them see more patients in person. but the doctors union has criticised a plan to publish league tables on face to face appointments, saying it ll push more gps out of the profession. here s more from our health reporter, jim reed. so i got your message just now about the pain in your knee, yeah? the pandemic has changed the way many of us access a gp. for some, telephone and online consultations have replaced face to face appointments.