Sajid Javid told he’s ‘out of touch’ and ‘stirs hate' towards GPs
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BBC Breakfast Charlie Stayt took the Health Secretary to task as he challenged Sajid Javid over the lack of face-to-face GP appointments. Mr Javid praised GPs for doing “an absolutely phenomenal” job throughout the pandemic but Stayt argued he was avoiding the question. Angry viewers took to Twitter to brand the interview a “car crash” and called for more balance”.
Stayt began: “You may be familiar – one of our regular GPs on this programme is Dr Rosemary Leonard, who is a very well respected voice amongst GPs.
“And she says what you, Sajid Javid as health secretary, are doing is stirring up anti-GP rhetoric.
“On top of which, she says that if you’re saying they should go out and hire more staff to get more people to work for them, she says you have no idea because there are no locums to employ.”
“GPs have done an absolutely phenomenal job,” Javid replied.
“We are so lucky to have our system of primary care and the fantastic GPs that we have.”
As he went to continue, Stayt interrupted: “I feel like you’re slightly missing the point.
“You’re being accused this morning by a GP of stirring up the rhetoric, the anti-GP rhetoric.
“They are accusing you of that.”
Javid hit back: “Well, this is a support package.
“I mean, I think most people find it hard to see how a quarter of billion pounds of extra funding, how changes in red tape they’ve asked for, about how getting pharmacists to help take some of the workload, how that is actually not going to help GPs, in terms of what they actually love doing best which is seeing their patients.
“This is all about support. Let’s remember during this pandemic, we’ve had people rightly and understandably stay away from the NHS including doctors because they were asked to during the height of the pandemic.”
Those watching at home took to Twitter to comment on the interview with many slamming Stayt’s handling of Javid.
Annie Bayliss posted: “@BBCBreakfast @sajidjavid seems a bit of a car crash interview this morning.
“Can’t see how it’s going to increase capacity and improve patient services.”
Julie Price Noble added: “Balance the argument BBC – go and ask people in the streets what their experience with their GPs was and now is – get to the truth and the problems.”
Dave Barnes tweeted: “@BBCBreakfast You, the BBC, are out of touch on this, go to GP practises, not just your ‘mates’ you have on week in/ out…
“GPs need to put a full shift in, stop half days off and STOP sending people to A&E.”
However, some viewers did in fact support Stayt, with Dr Dai Samuel posting: “Saj not having a great morning. Thankfully getting a hard time on BBC breakfast.”
BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am.
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