Update on GP-led Health Centres
Posted by Ruth Kelly, MP for Bolton West, at 13:26, Tue 24 June 2008:
Following on from my last post, I would like to reassure constituents that the introduction of the new centres is not intended to replace existing GPs but to complement and enhance existing services.
Patients tell us that access to GP services is a real issue – they want to see doctors’ surgeries opening at evenings and weekends. The reasoning behind the new services is to make health care more convenient and accessible for those who work long or unsocial hours and those who work far from their local GP surgery.
All these GP led Health centres will be open from 8am-8pm, 7 days a week. There is additional investment for additional capacity - more GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals, more appointments, and longer and more convenient opening hours.
There is nothing stopping any member of the public from walking into a GP led health centres to see a GP or nurse and they can do this whilst still being registered with their own GP. They can also choose to register with the health centre if they wish to do so and will receive the same high quality services they would receive at any GP practice.
I hope that this response alleviates any concerns.
Comments
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Posted by Richard Fielding, 05:35, Wed 25 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
Dear Ms. Kelley, I hope that this does not mean that patients can register with multiple practitioner, as this will encourage doctor shopping and wastes resources. As it is possible to be registered with GP and polyclinics, what measures are in place to ensure that doctor shopping does not occur? I also hope that these polyclinics will not be in competition with smaller GP practices which, if amalgamated into the larger clinics will mean the law of (ostensible) unintended consequences will act to drive smaller and more local clinics out of business. Who will do the triaging at the clinics? Will all consultations be seen by a doctor, or will patients be triaged by nurses as in A&E centres?
Finally, the access issue is one of demands versus needs. This approach seems to cater for demand at the potential cost of need, but seems calculated to achieve optimal political but not necessarily health outcomes. For the latter, we would need to see money being spent to lift families out of poverty. You remember, this used to be a Labour pledge
Posted by Miss L Bradley, 08:14, Wed 25 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
Thank you for these emails, Ruth. I think that the new clinics are an excellent idea. I can rarely access my GP as I live far from where I work and so welcome the new services.