Thread by @danielgoyal

The British public feel abandoned by their GP (and the NHS generally).

They feel GPs were hiding from the pandemic and afraid of getting #COVID19

The truth is so much more concerning…

@RCGP
@trishgreenhalgh @MartinRCGP @martinmckee @DrSimonHodes @drphilhammond

https://twitter.com/trishgreenhalgh/status/1256592030773501952

1. This government, under PM #Johnson And against the will of #TeamGP, bypassed GPs during this pandemic.

As shown in the above thread, There was a very clear objection by many GPs and GP leadership to being side-lined by the government’s pandemic strategy ….back in April 2020!!!

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!

And the public are completely unaware of this.

Instead this UK government:

Used private testing companies
&
Developed a separate Test and Trace service,
&
Directed patients to an online symptom checker for triage

…replacing what is typically roles of the GP.

doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3…

The consequences for the public included:

NO TRIAGE

In a pandemic there was NO Triage.

Just consider it for a moment.

The public were suffering and terrified, and instead of allowing primary care to do what they always do, this UK government opted to support business.

The diagnostic PCR testing had no doctor overseeing it or responsible for acting on the results

Contact and trace had no clinical remit. They could not assess the disease. £36bn and they could not even triage.

The online 111 symptom checker was ineffective and unsafe.

The UK public are right to feel abandoned, they were…by this government. They put profit above life and suffering.

And the public need to know the truth, not the spin..

GPs wanted to provide the Triage and Follow-Up, but this government, under emergency powers stopped them

Please Share this widely..

@guardian @BBCNews @Channel4News @ClaudiaWebbe @DMinghella @jessphillips

@chrischirp @JujuliaGrace @doctor_oxford @IanMaher7 @dgurdasani1 @YvetteCooperMP @EmergMedDr @HelenRSalisbury @ClareGerada @Parody_RCGP @TheDA_UK @TheBMA @bmj_latest