Thread by @rcgp

#RCGPCouncil now discussing a paper on the role of general practice in community health improvement. Is this a role for GPs? Where is this done well? What tools, skills & resources do GPs needs to improve the health of communities?

#RCGPCouncil member: the move to population health management is helpful and a vital area of work for the College. But don't underestimate the workload challenge

#RCGPCouncil member: We are returning to the historical role of GP as community leader.

#RCGPCouncil member: The paper does not say that all GPs must play a public health role but it's a function for local systems.

#RCGPCouncil member: General practice played a community health engagement role during the pandemic. We should prioritise preventative medicine but need additional funding to support practices to do this

#RCGPCouncil member: We are 'sticking plaster GPs' treating symptoms. Wouldn't it be better to be preventing these problems developing in the first place?

#RCGPCouncil member: We thought PCNs would be doing exactly this but DES has taken us in a different direction.

#RCGPCouncil member: We need high quality data and coding to ensure that we understand our patient populations.

#RCGPCouncil member: The most important thing we can do is to bring the general practice and public health functions together. However we also need to mention the climate crisis as one of the wider social determinants of health.

#RCGPCouncil member: Is this a priority for general practice? Or are others better placed to tackle poverty?

#RCGPCouncil member: It's not just about data - we need to triangulate with lived experience.

#RCGPCouncil member: We can't reduce health inequalities but we can 'mitigate'.

#RCGPCouncil member: we will struggle to undertake the role of community health improvement if we don't tackle the workload problem first.

#RCGPCouncil member: At which level in the system do we perform this role? It should be at place level - not practice or PCN level.

#RCGPCouncil member: We could look at expanding the number of public health rotations for trainees.

#RCGPCouncil member: The evidence base for social prescribing is still limited. Why should you rely on a social prescriber to get your benefits? The system needs to change. We need to challenge Governments to address these problems upstream.

#RCGPCouncil member: ‘If a doctor does not care about health inequalities, how can they even be a doctor?’ to quote Chris Whitty,

#RCGPCouncil now taking a break for lunch.

#RCGPCouncil member: Everyone is at risk of walking away because of unmanageable workload. We need to stop GPs burning out in the first place. How do we regain the joy of general practice?