RCP comment on Commission on Generalism report: Guiding Patients through Complexity: Modern Medical Generalism

This report is primarily concerned with generalism in primary care. The RCP has been developing similar proposals around generalism and the delivery of care in hospitals and facilitating the integration of services across primary, secondary and social care. It is crucial to consider whether the medical workforce has the right mix of skills to deliver the highest standard of care to patients, including the increasing number of older people with more than one condition. We need a better balance of doctors with generalist and specialist skills across both primary and secondary care.

Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said:

Patients need doctors with the skills, knowledge and expertise to make rapid diagnoses, find new and innovative ways of treating diseases, and provide holistic, high quality care both in hospitals and the community.

Patients are increasingly likely to have complex needs that do not fit within one speciality, for almost two-thirds of hospital beds are occupied by people over 65.[i] More doctors must be better placed to respond to these patients’ needs. Whereas specialist care delivers the best outcomes for those with well-demarcated clinical syndromes, we believe that increasing generalist skills in hospitals will complement excellent specialist skills and help to improve the overall care of patients.

Excellent generalist care must be valued as much as specialist treatment, with doctors encouraged to gain experience in a range of care settings in order to develop a broad base of skills. The RCP is working with stakeholders to explore how this can be best achieved.

For further information, please contact Lisa Cunningham, Public Affairs Manager, on +44 (0)20 3075 1468 / 07990 745610, or email Lisa.cunningham@rcplondon.ac.uk

[i] http://www.bgs.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=458:factoid2&catid=89:intelligence&Itemid=207