GPs pocketing £100 an HOUR to work extra weekends shifts as NHS bosses try to ease winter crisis
Bosses want to ease strain on the NHS after winter crisis
GPs are pocketing £100 an hour for working extra weekend shifts.
Health chiefs are shelling out the huge sums to ease the NHS winter crisis in Erewash, Derbys.
They have previously struggled to tempt family doctors to give up their weekends.
GPs are also being offered £91 per hour for working overtime in the evening.
They could potentially trouser thousands of pounds extra on top of their basic salary.
Some patients are waiting up to four weeks for doctors’ appointments.
Theresa May has blamed surgeries’ limited opening hours for pushing patients to overstretched A&Es.
NHS England said it is distributing £113million in 2016/17 to improve GP access, some for extra capacity over the winter.
Three clinical commissioning groups in Worcestershire are spending £252,000 for extra evening appointments across all its 65 GP practices.
Simon Evans, of NHS England Midlands and East, said: “We were informed it was to be used to increase appointments above current level for the winter months.”
Dr Peter Swinyard, of the Family Doctor Association, said: “The problem is most money coming in is money they’ve already nicked off us.”