Red Tape Challenge should be matched by medicines supply chain review

As Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched his Red Tape Challenge to free up more GP time for patients, the Epilepsy Society issued a sharp reminder that resolving medication shortages would also reduce the burden on GP surgeries.

The Secretary of State for National Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, addressed more than 1,500 GPs and other primary care givers at this year’s Royal College of General Practitioners conference today. 

GPs estimate they spend 10-20% of their time on admin, as well as tasks generated by issues with primary and secondary care communication. The Health and Social Care Secretary announced that the government and NHSE are launching a Red Tape Challenge to cut down on bureaucracy, and free up time to spend with patients. 

This Challenge is part of the government’s Ten-Year Health Plan which aims to shift the focus of healthcare out of hospitals and into the community. But while the Epilepsy Society welcomes initiatives to improve primary care, we are actively campaigning to ask the Secretary to work with the wider healthcare sector to address the medical supply shortage which affects so many people with epilepsy, GPs and pharmacists. 

Epilepsy Society responds

Clare Pelham, Chief Executive of the Epilepsy Society said; “We hope that as well as cutting red tape to free up GPs’ time, there will be further reforms including an end-to-end review of the medicines supply chain.

The current shortage of medication across many health conditions, including epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, is having a serious impact on people across the country. But the ongoing need to amend prescriptions and try to source lifesaving medications for patients is also taking up too much valuable time from doctors and pharmacists. Time that could be spent in meeting other people’s pressing personal health needs. 

We welcome this first step and look forward to more reform to fix the failing supply system.”