WALTHAM FOREST: Polyclinics 'will restrict access to GPs"
4:34pm Thursday 30th October 2008
NHS campaigners have claimed that new polyclinics earmarked for sites across the borough will result in the closure of GP surgeries.
Waltham Forest Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) is worried that the proposed four polyclinics being rolled out across the borough from July next year will result in less access to GPs for patients, and a shift towards privitisation of the super-clinics.
KONP chair Tony Phillips said: “We believe that GP led health centres or polyclinics, while appearing to be superficially attractive, are not the answer. Polyclinics would mean the closure of GP surgeries and their amalgamation into a few giant clinics.
“This has major implications for patient accessibility to GPs for less mobile patients and those without their own transport who would no longer have a GP within walking distance. Polyclinics would damage doctor-patient relationships with patients no longer having access to a family doctor with personal knowledge of their medical history.
“Worst of all, polyclinics would mean the re-packaging of GP services into units viable for take over by giant healthcare multi-nationals such as US based United Healthcare or Virgin, both of which are showing an active interest in tendering for GP services around the country.”
KONP has started campaigning against the proposal and believes the PCT should instead be pressing the Government to modernise GP surgeries in the borough by funding improved premises and increasing the treatments they can provide through new equipment and staff training.
In the trusts document outlining the scheme, it states that “most” GP practices will remain in their existing premises. However, Waltham Forest PCT vehmently denies the claim that the clinics will lead to the closure of practices.
NHS Waltham Forest chief executive Sally Gorham said: “Polyclinics will not lead to the closure of any practices. Polyclinics are not about taking over GP services, but moving a range of services out into the community to make them more accessible.
“GPs will retain their own contracts, and the expression of interest is for the overall leadership and management of the polyclinic, not the provision of GP services.”