Four in five hospitals to draft in GPs for stretched A&Es to plug staffing gaps over Christmas and New Year
Family medics will be paid over £1,000 a day in some hospitals, despite fears they're less likely to spot killer conditions than highly-trained emergency consultants
AS many as four in five A&Es will use GPs to plug staffing gaps over Christmas and New Year, the Sun can reveal.
Hospitals said family medics were being drafted in to treat patients turning up with minor ailments.
But there are fears GPs lack the skills of highly-trained emergency consultants to deal with more serious cases – and are less likely to spot killer conditions like meningitis and sepsis.
Some will be paid over £1,000 a shift to treat minor ailments in stretched A&E.
Our investigation found 82 per cent of trusts plan to use GPs in casualty to ease pressure during the worst winter in recent NHS history.
Just 40 per cent of A&Es used GPs over the festive period three years ago.
Many will work alongside emergency specialists but some will stand in for junior hospital GPs doctors.
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust said it would pay a GP £90 an hour, equivalent to £1,080 for a 12-hour shift.
Rachel Robinson, from Meningitis Now, claimed having more medics in A&Es is “welcome” – but that GPs need training to better spot potentially life-threatening symptoms.
She said: “Cases of meningitis can be missed, with tragic consequences and parents must feel that their concerns are heard.
Dr Ron Daniels, of the UK Sepsis Trust, warned: “GPs may only see sepsis twice a year.”
Dr Chris Moulton, of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “There’s some evidence GPs are better at getting elderly patients home and do fewer tests than consultants.”