The movement of emphasis from 'treating' patients to providing 'preventive' healthcare ties in neatly with the movement of chronic disease management from GPs to other members of the healthcare team.
GPs might need to rethink their role in primary care and arm themselves with new skills in order to provide 'new skills in primary care' or to 'run and manage their own services'.
GPs need to embrace these inevitable changes and seek to take on new roles providing by specialist services or being more involved in management/leadership in this 'new' NHS. The day of the neighbourly 'just a GP' are over.
Dr Emmanuel Agogo, GP35 panel member, Birmingham.
