End of GP catchment areas?
Patients will soon be able to choose GPs outside of their catchment area, if plans put forward today by the UK Health Minister go ahead.
The UK Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham, has announced plans to scrap GP catchment areas, in an effort to improve patient standards and access.
Currently, most doctors only see patients within a certain radius of the surgery. The plans, due to be implemented within 12 months, will mean that patients will soon be able to choose which surgery they go to, regardless of where they live.
Mr Burnham said in a speech today (Thursday): “In this day and age I can see no reason why patients should not be able to choose the GP practice they want. Many of us lead hectic lives and health services should be there to make things easier.
“A busy mum needs flexibility – she may want to register at a practice near her children’s school. Equally, a commuter may want to register near to work. I want them to be able to do this whilst ensuring that access to home visits won’t be affected, wherever someone ends up registering.”
Although the plans have many supporters, some organisations have raised questions regarding the practicalities. Laurence Buckman, Chair of the British Medical Association’s GP Committee, described the proposal as “terribly complicated” when he spoke on the BBC’s Today programme:
“I’ve been talking about this for 13 years with different governments and we’re certainly not against the idea but it is so complicated as most of our lives operate in areas.
“Who would visit you at home if you were sick? Services, such as mental health and physiotherapy, operate in quite rigid areas – how would you access services in another city or part of town?”
Under the scheme, surgeries will compete with one another for patients, and will therefore, in effect, offer the best service possible, as those with the most patients will be able to excel and expand. In contrast, underperforming surgeries will lose patients and risk closing down.
Loading ...
What a good idea! I moved home 10 years ago and had no choice but to join a local doctors surgery. This surgery is split over two areas, sometimes you get an appointment to one surgery then another day your appointment could well be at the other surgery. Plus I have been made to wait 8 hrs for prescription for my 2 month old baby and just the other day i found out that the surgery will not come to a child as a home visit. I was told to bring a sick 16 month old to the surgery by car in the late afternoon on a cold October day. If i could move surgeries then I certainly will, whatever happened to patient care. Some doctors are far too big for their boots this may stop doctors assuming they are better than the rest but if surgeries were to close then the doctors would surely just move on to the next surgery and the problem would just move on.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:26 amIt is about time a patient could choose the actual surgery they wish to attend. Currently I am not registered with a GP because I haven’t been able to find one recommended by anyone in my area. All I hear is horror stories! I have discovered that I am not alone in this.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:29 pmI tried one local practice and was struck off the list after only two visits for taking an interest in my own wellbeing, explaining my situation and asking questions. The GP was very arrogant, tried to intimidate me sexually, lied to me and about me and just wanted me to take a prescription and go away.
People must be able to vote with their feet. Furthermore, when a PCT sees patients moving away they must thoroughly examine the surgeries they are moving from for the sake of those who are left and are not mobile enough to move away even though they may want to. Otherwise we will have ‘ghetto’ surgeries.
Clearly not enough has been done to regularly check the competence of GPs. Forms given to patients to score the surgery are poorly designed and indicate nothing useful. GPs need regular training, updating and assessing. They are in an enormously responsible position. Some seem to take that too lightly and are obviously only there for money and power. Roll on choice. I and others like me may be able to register with a GP again.
I agree we should be allowed to choose are own surgery,after spending all my life at my old surgery i was just recently asked to leave because i have moved not even 3 miles away. The new surgery is a smaller one of a larger and i get given appiontments to go to both and the larger one is further than my old surgery. This does make any sense!
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 am