WINTER pressures on the NHS give us a very good indicator of just how well our medical services can cope under pressure. This season’s ‘flu has been particularly nasty and with the appalling weather we have had recently, pressures on A+E have increased. But at the forefront of all our medical services is our local GPs, the first port of call for most people with an ailment.

There is no doubt about it that GPs are under a lot of pressure and for many reasons. A recent, regular catch up with the local Wyre Forest clinical commissioning group chair and chief executive gave an insight into what is going. There is no doubt that GPs are working as hard as they ever have. An ageing population that presents with multiple conditions, an increasingly unfit population (recent obesity figures confirm we are all less healthy than our parents generation), and a greater expectation of what GPs can deliver (do we really need to see our GP for an insect bite?) places increased pressure on GPs. This can lead to demoralisation of GPs, who may choose to retire early and so the cycle of increased pressure on remaining GPs tightens in a vicious circle.

Yet here in Wyre Forest we have some of the best GPs in the country. The Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning group performs in the top ten of CCGs across the country in a whole range of areas, including access to a GP. This is a significant achievement and has been secured as a result many innovative measures, including the clubbing together of a number of practices that delivers greater flexibility, improved resilience to staff absences, and greater patient choice.

Chatting through the issues faced by our local GPs with chair Dr Clare Marley and CEO Simon Trickett gave a fascinating insight into the challenges faced locally, but the pragmatic solutions that an intelligent organisation can find. What is interesting is just how legislation from other areas of government – for example pension arrangements and limits – can result in GPs retiring early. But it is also interesting to learn of exciting new developments: Kidderminster and Bewdley both have newly built medical centres. Stourport is due to get a new one soon and the planning process is under way.

GPs is the main point of contact for most of us with the NHS: We are lucky, here in Wyre Forest, to have such a good service.