This site is intended for health professionals only

RCGP: Hands on public’s pulse – not purse

RCGP: Hands on public’s pulse – not purse
21 October 2011



GPs are being urged notto compromise their “unique” relationships with patients when cutting costs.

Speaking at the RoyalCollege of General Practitioners (RCGP) annual conference in Liverpool today(20 October), Chair Dr Clare Gerada said GPs are under pressure to “replace the languageof caring with the language of the market”.

She warned patients “arenot commodities to be bought and sold”.

Gerada implores GPs notto lose sight of why they entered the profession and to continue to care forthe patient as a person during these turbulent economic times.


GPs are being urged not to compromise their “unique” relationships with patients when cutting costs.

Speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) annual conference in Liverpool today (20 October), Chair Dr Clare Gerada said GPs are under pressure to “replace the language of caring with the language of the market”.

She warned patients “are not commodities to be bought and sold”.

Gerada implores GPs not to lose sight of why they entered the profession and to continue to care for the patient as a person during these turbulent economic times.

“In this brave new cost-driven, competitive, managed-care world, I worry about the effect that the language of marketing is having on our clinical relationships,” she said.

“It’s changing the precious relationship between clinician and patient into a crudely costed financial procedure, turning our patients into aliquots of costed tariffs, and GPs into financial managers of care.”

Gerada spoke of her support for the role of GPs in commissioning, she warns clinicians must “tread carefully” to ensure it is the public’s pulse they have their fingers on, “not the public’s purse”.

The RCGP leader obtained a warm response to her opening speech, receiving a standing ovation from delegates.

Want news like this straight to your inbox?

Related articles