The Health and Social Care Committee undertook an inquiry into the future of general practice in Wales in early 2025. The committee was particularly interested in the challenges threatening the sustainability of general practice, recruitment and retention of the general practice workforce, patient experience and opportunities to make general practice fit for the future.
Our response
Our response focused on the impact pressures in general practice has had on child health and the need to prioritise child health services to manage longer-term pressure in primary care, and across the NHS.
- Whilst children are estimated to make up around 40% of a typical GPs workload, only around one in three have postgraduate specialist paediatric training, with little undergraduate exposure to paediatrics.
- The lack of interoperable information systems often means health professionals seeing children so not have timely access to the child's shared electronic health record.
- Prioritising child health by sufficiently resourcing general practice teams and enabling greater collaboration between primary and secondary care is not only necessary for individuals and their families but it also critical for managing long-term pressures on the NHS.
Our recommendations
- Children must be included in the systems and frameworks that incentivise improvements in preventing and managing their health needs.
- GP practices and child health services should use the RCPCH Facing the Future: Together for child health standards (and future iterations post-review) to plan, deliver and evaluate services allowing for effective interface working.
- All GPs who provide care for children and young people should have the opportunity to receive training so that they are skilled to deal with childhood illness.
- The Welsh Government should develop a bespoke child health workforce strategy to ensure Wales has a workforce able to meet the rising demands.
We respond to a wide range of consultations to ensure that the College’s position, and ultimately children’s health, is represented. Members can get involved in current consultations in Wales by contacting enquiries-wales@rcpch.ac.uk.