Gps May Bid To Run Poly-Clinics
Doctors say they may bid to run new surgeries planned for Wearside to defend against “damage to general practice”. Groups of GPs are considering applying to run the new clinics using non-profit “community” companies.
The idea was raised in a new leaflet, which puts across the views of doctors campaigning against controversial plans for a GP-led health centre
Family doctors and practice managers in the city are being urged to hand out the information, along with a patient questionnaire, both drawn up by Sunderland Local Medical Committee, which represents GPs.
More than 50 people attended the first of three public meetings on the plans at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens on Monday.
The event was hosted by Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust (TPCT), which has been tasked by the Government with implementing the new services.
Doctors on Wearside oppose the plans, which aim to increase access to GPs and were outlined in a report by Lord Darzi.
They believe the changes will introduce privatisation and could destabilise existing surgeries. They want the extra funding to be spent on all practices.
The leaflet said: “Some groups of local GPs are considering trying to bid for these practices using “not for profit” community-interest companies.
“Most of those GPs feel it is the only way to reduce the likelihood of damage to existing general practice in the city.
“Many GPs believe their time would be better spent investing in existing practices and improving care, rather than feeling the necessity to spend their time defending the institution of general practice.”
But health bosses defended the proposals, saying they will bring more GPs to Sunderland, which is good news for patients.
They say there are no plans for surgery closures and no patient will be forced to move to another practice if they don’t want to.
Speaking at the public meeting, Sue Winfield, chairwoman of the TPCT, said: “We have already opened two new primary care centres at Grindon Lane and Bunny Hill.
Doctors who are campaigning against the proposals have put together a leaflet about the plans. The information was drawn up by Sunderland Local Medical Committee, which represents city GPs.
There are no known plans for a polyclinic in the Sunderland and Washington areas, but there are plans for a GP-led health centre in Washington and for three new GP practices in the area.
In total there will be between ￡4million and ￡5million made available for these new establishments. None of that funding will be made available for existing general practice surgeries, despite local doctors’ appeals for the investment for their patients.
Each new practice is expected to grow to 6,000 patients over a five-year period. This equates to an annual payment of more than ￡190 per patient – compared with current practices which receive only ￡100 per patient. This implies a potential for a large “profit margin” from NHS funds by any new provider.
If the three new practices achieve their target of 6,000 patients each, in total this represents less than seven per cent of the people of Sunderland. There will be none of this funding available for the other 93 per cent of patients.
There is no expectation that these 18,000 will be new patients; they will be from existing practices.
Doctors fear this will “destabilize” the resources and funding to existing practices. Doctors also suspect it will be the more mobile professional classes who will be welcomed by these better funded practices, leaving the elderly and chronically sick and disabled in the poorer funded practices.
The practices are all to be advertised using a little-used method of contracting – an “APMS” (alternative provider medical services) contract. This type of contract is the only type which private companies can use in general practice in the NHS. The Department of Health are insisting that all three practices are advertised as “APMS” contracts.
The Government’s main driver seems to be to introduce “competition” into the NHS and deliver “extended hours” opening in general practice. But more than four out of five practices in Sunderland already deliver extended hours to their patients.
Many would open longer if properly resourced. This is despite in a Government-sponsored survey in 2007, about 90 per cent of patients in Sunderland were happy with the opening times of their practices.
Patients consistently say they value the long-term continuity of care that existing GP practices offer – often described as “cradle to grave” family medicine. It is highly unlikely these new practices will be able to deliver such care. In addition, many doctors are concerned about the security of patient records if held by a corporate organization.
The Primary Care Trust is conducting a “public consultation”, but they are not allowing you a say in whether this extra money should be invested in existing practices to benefit all the patients in our city.
They are consulting principally on the “location” of the practices, not the necessity for such practices.
They are also asking for your views on what services these new practices should deliver, but most are already delivered by existing practices and many more could be delivered with the huge investment this money would give.
The overwhelming majority of GPs in Sunderland and Washington do not want extra practices, preferring to see the extra resources invested across the whole of Sunderland to benefit every patient.
Some groups of local GPs are considering trying to bid for these practices using “not for profit” community-interest companies. Most of those GPs feel it is the only way to reduce the likelihood of damage to existing general practice in the city.
Many GPs believe their time would be better spent investing in existing practices and improving care, rather than feeling the necessity to spend their time defending the institution of general practice.
The total money available equates to ￡12 to ￡15 per patient annually. GPs believe if this was properly invested in existing practices, it could transform the way care is delivered to every patient in Sunderland.
Tags: bunny hill, controversial plans, family doctors, GPS News, health centre, improving care, practice managers, profit community, winfieldRelated posts
Posted on July 10th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: GPS News
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