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Million protest as surgeries make way for the polyclinics
Anna Davis, Evening Standard12.06.08
More than a million NHS patients are protesting against plans to merge GP surgeries to create huge "polyclinics".
Doctors will descend on Downing Street today to hand in a petition against the proposals, which will overhaul London's health service and lead to the closure of 100 surgeries across the capital.
The Save Our Surgery petition, signed by 1,196,000 people, has been organised by the British Medical Association in a last-ditch attempt to halt the changes.
London's 31 primary care trusts meet today and are expected to approve the plans to abolish traditional hospitals and create specialist "super-units" and 150 polyclinics.
At the same time, 400 GPs from across the country are meeting in the capital to discuss how they will be affected and members of the London-wide Local Medical Committees will hold a vote of no confidence in health minister Lord Darzi, who drew up the reforms.
A £1million consultation claimed to have found that half of Londoners backed the plans but campaigners accuse Healthcare for London, which ran the exercise, of failing to canvas enough opinion because only 5,000 people - less than one per cent of London's population - responded.
The critics claim polyclinics will lead to "privatisation" of the NHS after the US firm United Healthcare won the contract for three surgeries in Camden.
Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GP committee, said: "If the Government won't listen to doctors then surely it will listen to the 1.2 million men and women who call for a halt to the plans to promote the use of commercial companies in general practice.
"Voters don't want funding to move from GP practices to commercial companies who are accountable primarily to shareholders rather than patients. They want to be treated as patients, not customers. My message to Gordon Brown is this: Whatever you think of GPs, take note of what your electorate thinks. Work with us to improve the service, not against us, and ignore at your peril the wishes of the most important people in the NHS - the patients."
Ruth Carnall, NHS London chief executive, said: "Today is D-day for the NHS in London, when decisions will be taken that will shape health in the city for years to come. There are many challenges to face, including the appalling health inequalities that mean life expectancy for people in neighbouring boroughs can be markedly different. "I believe that despite the clamour coming from the doctors' union, the BMA and others, the joint PCT committee will take its decision with the best interests of Londoners at heart. It is their big chance to build a health service that is of high quality, safe, convenient and provides patients with a real choice of care."
Reader views (3)
Objections to these proposals seem to be all about doctors and providers protecting their interests. I think they will offer a better service to patients. Who hasn't struggled to get a doctor's appointment at a time that fits in with work. My surgery insists that you book an appointment at 8am on the day - with the result that phone is constantly engaged and you can't plan work commitments around it. Fine if you are really ill and not able to go to work anyway, but useless if you have an less urgent problem or an ongoing condition. In London you very rarely get to see the same doctor every time anyway. I am all for longer hours and easier access and I think these proposals will help deliver this. Let's not all get sucked in by a well organised GP led campaign, protecting their interests rather than those of patients.
- Katy Williams, London
We do not want polyclinics. There is plenty of proof that a doctor's intuition and knowledge of their patient's personality, history and social circumstances are often what makes the NHS great. The personal one to one relationship allows the GP i.e. one person, to manage the complicated social services and patient care needed. Thus fewer mistakes are made.
- Kate Wynborne, London
Thank you for exposing that NHS London are intent on failing to listen to patients and their GPs opposed to the big threat to local NHS GP surgeries. However, can I point out that the GPs meeting in the Capital today expressing 'no confidence in health minister Lord Darzi' are from local medical committees all over England, not London wide Local Medical Committees as stated.
- Sue Broome, London
