In brief

Surgeons unhappy about ability of GPs to operate

According to the Royal College of Surgeons, in response to Government plans to extend the role of GPs, no GPs should be carrying out any minor surgery. Lord Warner, health minister, has announced that there are to be 30 pilot projects which will involve GPs in work that has traditionally been provided by teams of surgeons in hospitals, including the removal of lumps and bumps, hernias and hand operations. Surgeons argue that training opportunities for young surgeons in hospitals will be lost if the plans are fully implemented, and that the plan is really concerned with cutting costs rather than improving the quality of care.