Labour calls out Cameron on misleading GP statistics
Following yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, David Cameron has been referred to the chief of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir Andrew Dilnot CBE, for his use of figures on the number of General Practitioners in England.
Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham has written to Dilnot to ask him to investigate the Prime Minister’s and Health Secretary’s repeated claims that the number has risen since the General Election, despite the most recent official NHS data showing fewer GPs than in Labour’s last year in office.
The claims come just months after a Government report on GP recruitment admitted “there is a GP workforce crisis” and the official GP Patient Survey shows that one in four patients now wait a week or more to see or speak to a GP.
David Cameron has already come under fire for his misuse of health statistics at Prime Minister’s Questions on NHS spending and A&E waiting times.
The full text of Andy Burnham’s letter to Andrew Dilnot is below:
Dear Andrew
GP NUMBERS
I have become increasingly concerned about what I believe to be an inaccurate use of statistics on GP numbers. Specifically statements have been made by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health that have the effect of implying that there are 1,000 more GPs in England since the General Election.
There have been a number of examples of these statements, including at Prime Minister’s Questions both yesterday and in July.
• “There are 1,000 more GPs today than there were when I became Prime Minister. “
David Cameron, Prime Minister’s Questions, 9 July 2014[1]
• “We have 1,000 more GPs than we had when his [Labour MP Jamie Reed] party was in power.”
Jeremy Hunt, Health Questions, 15 July 2014[2]
• “There are 1,000 more GPs than when I became Prime Minister”
David Cameron, Good Morning Britain, 30 September 2014[3]
• “There are 1,000 more GPs across the country than there were in 2010”
David Cameron, Prime Minister’s Questions, 5 November 2014[4]
The official source of GP numbers is the annual National Health Service General and Personal Medical Services workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which shows the number of general practitioners working in the NHS in England as at 30 September each year.
The last available figure from when the previous Government was in power is therefore September 2009, while the current figure is from September 2013. The number of full-time equivalent GPs in September 2009 and September 2013 are shown in the table below. You will note that there were 36 fewer GPs on a full-time equivalent measure in September 2013 compared to September 2009 and 356 fewer on a headcount measure.
Headcount
FTE
Sept 2009 Sept 2013 Change Sept 2009 Sept 2013 Change
GPs 35,917 35,561 -356 32,111 32,075 -36
Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre, General and Personal Medical Services, England - 2003-2013, As at 30 September
I have two specific concerns about the Prime Minister’s use of statistics in this case:
• First, that the Prime Minister is including trainees in the figure for the number of GPs, even though when reporting the number of GPs the Health and Social Care Information Centre excludes registrars: “Various types of medical practitioners work in General Practice. The term ‘practitioner’ in this bulletin is defined as all general medical practitioners excluding Registrars…” (Health and Social Care Information Centre, ‘General and Personal Medical Services: England 2003-13’)
• Second, that the Prime Minister is using data from September 2010, which was not the number of GPs when he “became Prime Minister” or when Labour “was in power”. In particular, we know that there was an exodus of GPs in September 2010, at a time of deep discontent and poor morale over the new Government’s proposed health re-organisation.
In light of these concerns, I would be grateful if you could advise on the accuracy of recent statements made by the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Andy Burnham
Previous David Cameron rebukes:
• 6 December 2012 - Dilnot rebukes Hunt on false claim that NHS budget has been increased every year
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Jeremy Hunt MP, 6 December 2012, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-rt–hon–jeremy-hunt-mp-to-andrew-dilnot-06122012.pdf
• 1 February 2013 - Dilnot rebukes Cameron on false claim that “We’re paying down Britain’s debts”
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Rachel Reeves MP, 1 February 2013, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-andrew-dilnot-to-rachel-reeves-mp—1-february-2013.pdf
• 9 May 2013 - Dilnot rebukes IDS on false claim that benefit cap is helping people back into work
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Nicola Smith, 9 May 2013, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-andrew-dilnot-to-nicola-smith-09052013.pdf
• 22 January 2014 - Dilnot rebukes Paterson over false claim that the Government is spending more on flood defences than the previous government
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Hugh Bayley MP, 22 January 2014, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-sir-andrew-dilnot-to-hugh bayley-mp—19022014.pdf
• 6 February 2014 - Dilnot rebukes Treasury over presentation of statistics in the National Infrastructure Plan
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Chris Leslie MP, 6 February 2014, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-sir-andrew-dilnot-to-chris-leslie-mp-06022014.pdf
• 29 July 2014 - Dilnot rebukes Cameron on false claim that average waiting time in A&E has fallen
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Andy Burnham MP, 29 July 2014, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-sir-andrew-dilnot-to-rt–hon–andy-burnham-mp—29072014.pdf
• 18 August 2014 - Dilnot rebukes Cameron on false claim that most new jobs in Britain used to go to foreign workers but now go to British workers
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Jonathan Portes, 18 August 2014, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports—correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-sir-andrew-dilnot-to-jonathan-portes-18082014.pdf
• 3 October 2014 - Dilnot rebukes Cameron on false claim that Britain is “paying down its debts”
Andrew Dilnot, letter to Chris Leslie MP, 3 October 2014, http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/letter-from-chris-leslie-mp-to-sir-andrew-dilnot-011014.pdf