A recent survey by the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) has found that fewer than one in three GPs were consulted on how their clinical commissioning groups (CCG) were spending the £5 per head of funding they should get for the care of elderly patients.

In a speech last week, Chair of the GPC, Dr Chaand Nagpaul said that only 20 per cent of GPs had been allocated the full £5 by their CCGs and only 28 per cent had been consulted on how to spend it.

He added that this is despite the fact that the funding is intended to support GPs in their ‘named clinician’ role to help develop care plans for patients over the age of 75.

Meanwhile, according to the survey, only 20 per cent of GPs felt that their CCG was improving patient care, compared with 68 per cent of CCG board members, which, according to Dr Nagpaul indicates a ‘mismatch’ between GP and commissioners’ experience.

He said that the survey showed that GPs had had a negative experience of CCGs in their first year and that they did not feel that CCGs were doing enough to listen to their membership.

He added that the fact that only one in five GPs reported that their CCG had made the funding available highlights the fact that they are often told that something is going to happen but then it doesn’t.

In addition, the survey also found that when asked how they would spend the money, 70 per cent said they would use it for support staff, either spending it on community nursing or on more practice nursing time.