DR JOHN CANNING raised a major concern regarding the dwindling supply of GPs and the planned retirement rates (HAS, Aug 20).
It is a concern that everyone should share, with NHS England desperately trying to dilute the GP expertise with the introduction of Nurse Practitioners, who do not have anywhere near the same level of knowledge, or experience that my GP has gained from his extensive training.
The Secretary of State for Health, looking for glory, shouted the odds regarding the introduction of seven-day GP availability but put forward virtually nothing regarding how it will be achieved.
The poor take up of GP training places is an issue of some importance, particularly as the financial rewards are good. Surely politicians must begin to make a more positive contribution towards solving the problem. They should sit down with the profession and develop a constructive plan, rather than seeking glory and praise.
The start of the problem began with the Blair government in power: Patricia Hewitt, aided and abetted by Liz Kendall, messed about with the GP contracts, and the situation has got worse.
There is obviously much dissatisfaction amongst GPs so politicians must begin to work in partnership with the GPs to find the solution.
David McKeever, York
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