Giving patients more choice “deeply flawed”
A public consultation closes tomorrow, asking if patients should be able to choose which GP practice they register with. After speaking to local GPs, it’s clear that changing the system could have serious implications. We believe it should be left as it is.
Under the current system, each doctors’ practice has a fixed catchment. This consultation is looking at how the NHS can give patients more choice.
Abandoning practice boundaries, so that you can register with a practice near your work, may be more convenient for some, but will have serious unintended consequences.
The British Medical Association (BMA) see the move as “deeply flawed” for a number of reasons. Many people build up a relationship with their GP over time, which extends to home visits if you are very ill. This becomes unworkable if your practice is many miles away.
Even more seriously, changing the system could hamper GP input into safe-guarding children and increase the chances of child abuse going undetected. Some doctors worry it will lead to greater medication abuse. Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA’s GPs Committee, said: “Getting rid of practice boundaries altogether is fraught with difficulties.”
Instead, the BMA suggest widening the boundaries of all practices in urban areas so patients have greater choice that way. Or allow patients to be treated by a distant practice on an ‘ad hoc’ basis whenever necessary, while their normal GP practice would still oversee their care.
The NHS expect over 90% of people to remain with their own GP practice, even if the system is changed. If this is the case, changing the system would benefit a minority, but could have serious implications for many others.
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