According to a recent report, GPs have saved the NHS around £7bn in the last 40 years by increasing generic prescribing rates, which have gone up by 20 per cent since 1976. However, it adds that costs are still being increased through over-diagnosing and inappropriate prescribing.

The King’s Fund’s Better Value in the NHS report found that GPs could further reduce costs by millions of pounds every year if they cut or reduced antibiotic prescriptions for a number of ailments such as respiratory tract infections, coughs, colds and sore throats.

According to the report, GPs could also save money by better identification and management of mental health issues at an early stage, particularly amongst the large group of patients whose needs are below the level requiring specialist referral.

The respected think tank went on to say that it was important for GPs to take whatever extra measures they can to save costs, given NHS England’s goal of saving a further £22bn a year from the budget over the next five years.

This is despite the new Government’s pledge to increase funding to the NHS by at least £8bn in real terms by 2020/21, as the report maintains that this will not be enough in itself to meet the needs of a growing and aging population and to pay for advances in treatment.

However, the report comes hot on the heels of news that the Government has widened the prescribing remit in general practice to also include physician associates and that NHS England will spend £15m on employing pharmacists to work in GP practices.

Meanwhile, figures released earlier this month by the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed that the number of items prescribed on the NHS has increased by 55 per cent since 2004, with 1.1 billion items dispensed into the community last year.