Letters: Power to the GPs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: The leaked White Paper on the future of the NHS suggests that a central concern for the new government is equality of health care for all.
A crucial starting point is fair distribution of NHS funds based on a careful statistical analysis of relative needs. As approximately 95 per cent of patient contact with healthcare services occurs in primary care, often the GP's surgery, it may surprise your readers to learn that the allocation of NHS funds to general practice has never been subject to any analysis at all.
Essentially the present "assumption" is that there are two levels of need: that patients older than 75 require twice as much care as those below that age.
The most elementary studies show that age alone is a crude measure of medical need, and even here ratios of demand rise from the age of 50 years to double by 65, treble by 75 and increase by four to six times above 75.
Relative to your needs, the older you become the less NHS funds your GP is given.
Dr R C Gilbertson
Christchurch, Dorset
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments