Welcome to the Dispensing Doctors’ Association’s Rural Practice Manifesto for the 2019 General Election.

As the election campaign begins in earnest, the NHS will run Brexit a close second as a key area over which the political parties are best-placed to preside.

The DDA invites election candidates to work with the DDA to answer the following calls to action:

  1. Involve the DDA in the second phase of the consultation on drug reimbursement, so that dispensing practices and their patients are not disadvantaged when the changes are implemented
  2. ‘Rural proof’ Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and support the call for an updated rural NHS funding formula that recognises the increased costs of delivering a robust and resilient health service in rural areas
  3. Protect the unique rural GP one-stop-shop service that improves people’s access to scarce healthcare resource
  4. Recognise that rural medical practices are the hub of their local communities, offering traditional family doctor GP services, creating skilled jobs for local people, and reducing social isolation
  5. Lobby for urgent improvements to the rural infrastructure, particularly, public transport and broadband
  1. Recognise that dispensing income is vital for the sustainability of high quality rural general practices

The DDA has produced a range of resources for GPs to use in local lobbying ahead of the election. These include a press release and a letter to be sent to local newspapers, template GP practice website copy, a practice letter for election candidates and a patient letter for election candidates. Download your resources below:

Press release

Letter to editor

Practice website article template

Template practice letter

Template patient letter

DDA Parliamentary Briefing Papers

The DDA also publishes parliamentary briefing papers for politicians based in England, Wales and Scotland.

Please click on the relevant links to access the DDA’s parliamentary briefing papers for viewing on the web (low res version) and for downloading for local lobbying purposes (hi resolution version)

England

January 2020: low res version

June 2017: low res version

Feb 2017: hi res version; low res version

May 2016: hi res version; low res version

September 2015: hi res version; low res version

May 2015: hi res version; low res version

February 2015: hi res versionlow res version

October 2014: low res version

June 2014: hi res version; low res version

Jan 2014: hi res version; low res version

Scotland

February 2020: low res version

June 2017: low res version

August 2016: hi res version; low res version

April 2016: hi res version; low res version

May 2015: hi res version; low res version

February 2015: low res version

November 2014: hi res versionlow res version

June 2014: hi res version; low res version

Jan 2014: hi res version; low res version

Wales

June 2017: low res version

July 2016: Hi res version; low res version

March 2016: hi res version; low res version

May 2015: hi res version; low res version

March 2015: hi res versionlow res version

December 2014: hi res versionlow res version

March 2014: hi res version; low res version