NHS CRISIS: Almost one million left with just 'ONE GP' to cover out-of-hours emergencies
ALMOST one million people have been left with just one GP to cover out-of-hours emergencies, an NHS whistleblower has claimed.
A chronic shortage of doctors is thought to have caused the lack of overnight medical cover
A chronic shortage of doctors is thought to have caused the lack of overnight medical cover on three nights last month in East Anglia.
Staff claim services are "on the brink" as shift pay of up to £1,000 a day fails to attract new locums.
The source has alleged that emergency cover provided by private health firm IC24 is "not a safe service".
Norman Lamb, Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, said: "This is potentially about life and death.
Staff claim services are 'on the brink'
"If these issues are true then that's not acceptable and they have to be resolved."
Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said the figures "highlight the reality of the workforce crisis facing general practice".
We refute the 'whistleblowing' allegations around our service
An IC24 spokeswoman disputed some of the figures put forward by the whistleblower.
She claimed there was only one day last month, January 24, when only one doctor was on duty for the midnight to 8am shift.
She said: "We refute the 'whistleblowing' allegations around our service. These have not been raised with us formally via our whistleblowing policy."
An IC24 spokeswoman disputed some of the figures put forward by the whistleblower
The chief executive of IC24, Yvonne Taylor, added: "The new service is not the same as that previously delivered with a different model and geography.
Shift pay of up to £1,000 a day failed to attract new locums
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"We have developed a new GP oversight role to work clinically across 111 and out-of-hours to support clinical decision-making and reduce access times for patients who need to be seen face-to-face.
"We are also absolutely committed to being open and transparent about the challenges we face with CCG colleagues, MPs, as well as the press."