Media Release- 24 January 2014
BAPRAS responds to a speech made by the Secretary of State (23 January 2014) about ‘whole stay doctors’ and the need for continuity of patient care
BAPRAS President and consultant plastic surgeon Graeme Perks said:
“We absolutely welcome the Secretary of State’s call to reintroduce a person centred approach to care and the importance he places on continuity of treatment by and between named senior clinicians. However, this model should not be thought of as new or innovative but rather a return to a long established professional approach which was overtly undermined by policy makers in the last several years. The focus was to drive efficiency targets and cost reduction through generic provision of variable quality care by pooled clinicians with inevitably less direct responsibility. The patient had been commoditised and the doctors had been de-professionalised by time-sensitive contracts. We applaud the recognition of the failure of this trial of healthcare provision which fundamentally undermined the keystones of quality in individual patient care.
[ENDS]
About BAPRAS
BAPRAS, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, is the voice of plastic surgery in the UK. It aims to increase the understanding of the professional specialty and scope of plastic surgery, promoting innovation in teaching, learning and research.
Founded in 1946 (originally as the British Association of Plastic Surgeons), today BAPRAS has over 800 members and is the professional representative body for reconstructive and aesthetic Plastic Surgeons providing services to patients on the NHS and privately in the UK.
Members of the public can find a member Plastic Surgeon in their area by logging on to www.bapras.org.uk. Anyone can check the GMC to find out if a surgeon is on the plastic surgery specialist register; http://www.gmc-uk.org/register/search/index.asp
“BAPRAS and its members have always believed that quality, personal responsibility and continuity of care are critical to delivering the best and most appreciated outcomes for patients. We will continue to lead professional standard setting, training, education, research and look forward to working with the Government and the Royal Colleges in re-establishing professional care which acts on individual patient needs.”