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100 GP sites facing axe under polyclinic plans
Anna Davis28.05.08
More than 100 GP surgeries across London will close to make way for the first wave of new 'polyclinics', it was revealed today.
Plans have been drawn up to shut sites in eight areas — including Haringey, Ealing, Kensington and Chelsea, and Camden.
Some patients have already received letters informing them of proposed relocation into the new super-centres.
Research by Pulse, the paper for GPs, revealed Kensington and Chelsea PCT has approved the business case for a clinic at St Charles Community Hospital, due to open in 2009. Five practices will be relocated there, and City and Hackney PCT is planning to relocate 18 practices. At least 11 surgeries are thought to be under threat in Enfield and in Haringey PCT there are plans to close 37.
Dr Kambiz Boomla, chairman of City and East London local medical committee, said: “People expect their GP surgeries to be in walking distance."
Richard Hoey, deputy editor of Pulse, said: The Government keeps insisting surgeries will not be forced to close to make way for polyclinics, but the reality is closures are already in motion.
“Polyclinics will have some advantages, certainly, but the benefits of flash new buildings and access to specialist services come at a cost, in terms of travelling time and continuity of care. The pros and cons need to be properly debated, and it's incredible that changes are coming at such a breakneck pace."
Pulse also revealed at least 15 surgeries in Ealing will be relocated, at least eight in Lambeth and in Camden five may move to University College Hospital polyclinic. In Waltham Forest, two closures are planned.
The news comes after Dr John Lister of London Health Emergency claimed Londoners were being conned into accepting hospital closures.
He said polyclinics would drain traditional hospitals of cash, leading to mass closures across the capital.
But the thousands of people who responded to a consultation on the radical changes were not told of the full impact the new clinics would have on hospitals and GP surgeries.
Speaking before a major British Medical Association conference on the proposed NHS reforms today, Dr Lister said: “The money follows the patient, so hospitals will lose out and won't be able to fill their budgets. People are being conned into accepting a fine form of words, but the reality is different."
The NHS reforms proposed by health minister Lord Darzi include specialised stroke and trauma centres.
But Dr Kevin O'Kane, a member of the BMA's London Regional Council, warned: “The idea of having a family doctor will go out of the window.î
Healthcare for London's programme director, David Sissling, dismissed fears. He said: “There are no plans to close hospitals. It's a case of upgrading services."
Doctors in Hampstead are leading the revolt and posters slamming the plans have appeared in surgeries in a bid to force a government rethink.
Dr Claire Chalmers-Watson, a partner at the Parliament Hill surgery, said: “There's a fear patients are going to meet a corporate beast in polyclinics that's going to commodify them."
Reader views (2)
Is this finally "the beginning of the end" of healthcare as we know it?
- Fraser, Telford Park
Some areas of the UK need a polyclinic however those areas where patients have a user friendly family doctor should be left well alone, perhaps the DoH and cardboard government should examine the contents of their ill thought out hidden agenda,(which neither takes feedback from the long suffering general public or well established, hard working GPs). Patients need well run facilities which provide ease of access to services, most GPs do that, however take an area with well known lack of efficiency, lack of patient respect, a wide spread bypass pattern over stretching casualty/out of hours and walk in clinics - despite patient feedback within a PCT, at times with many families echoing dissatisfaction, and despite a publicly funded fact finding mission, complaint will still be covered as this government would rather have its civil servants and labour party contacts brush such uncomfortable news away. If a family GP surgery is working for a community leave it alone, however if something is not, perhaps a polyclinic is the answer if it saves lives and removes fear in a particular area. The GMC has been quoted as wanting to remove paternalism in practice, will this include filling the general public with any confidence around fitness to practice?
- Mary Foord Brown, suffolk coastal
