An interview on Sky News took an interesting turn Thursday, when the health secretary was asked if the Daily Mail runs the NHS.
Burley: Who runs the NHS, you or the daily mail?
Javid: Well, the NHS is run, everyone knows how the NHS is run#Skynews
It wasn't meant to be a trick question pic.twitter.com/kz9o3VBmbK
— UK is with EU (@ukiswitheu) October 14, 2021
Sajid Javid was being interviewed by Kay Burley about a plan to give GPs in England £250m to improve their services, but only if they increase the numbers of patients being seen face-to-face.
The move follows a heated debate from under-pressure GPs and Javid, who has pushed for family doctors to increase in-person consultations.
TELEGRAPH: GPS ‘named and shamed’ if they fail to see patients #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/dl2ZtGNQaH
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 14, 2021
The Daily Mail on Thursday attempted to take credit for the initiative, claiming it to be a ‘Mail campaign triumph’. Its front page also carried a headline reading, ‘Sajid, Boris and NHS boss credit Mail for scheme’.
MAIL: GPs: The new face-to-face revolution #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/OAQadw9niT
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 13, 2021
During the Sky interview, Burley said to Javid: “I was speaking to a GP this morning, who said to me, ask him, who runs the NHS, you, or the Daily Mail?”
Javid appeared to be slightly taken aback by the question, but responded, saying: “This NHS is run, everyone knows how the NHS is run…”
Under the new scheme GP practices in England will be able to share in a “winter access fund” to hire more staff, but payments will be conditional on increasing the number of patients who get an in-person appointment.
GPs, in future, must ask patients if they want to come into the surgery or are happy to talk to a doctor or practice nurse on the phone or by videocall instead. If the patient wants to come into the surgery, GPS must then arrange a face-to-face consultation.
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