North GP leads a polyclinic protest
Jul 7 2008 by Paul James, The Journal
HEALTH chiefs yesterday moved to defend the controversial plan for polyclinics, as North East doctors prepare to call on colleagues across the country today to oppose their introduction.
Whitley Bay GP George Rae will today put a motion before the British Medical Association’s (BMA’S) Annual Representative Meeting in Edinburgh that Government reforms are undermining core services and introducing profit-driven competition into the NHS. Polyclinics are planned for all 150 Primary Care Trust (PCT) areas in the country, with critics claiming they will be imposed on areas where there is no need for them and that the money could be better spent by local health trusts.
The BMA has warned the plans will “depersonalise” care and the Tories have claimed up to 1,700 surgeries could be at risk of closure from the opening of the new GP-led clinics.
But last night the Department of Health issued a line-by-line rebuttal of Dr Rae’s motion, accusing the BMA of trying to undermine its plans.
Its statement said it had “no preference” whether the polyclinics were run by the public or private sector.
Dr Rae’s motion warns that polyclinics are likely to be owned and run by for-profit multi-national companies; will see money diverted away from other parts of the NHS; will undermine hospital services by duplicating some services; will detract from the standard of care delivered to the sickest and least empowered members of society; will be more remote than current hospitals and GP surgeries; will adversely affect the training of junior doctors in hospitals and threaten the future of current GP surgeries.
He calls upon the BMA to launch a new campaign highlighting “the dangers of privatisation of primary care provision and commissioning”.
Yesterday the architect of the Government’s NHS reforms defended the plan for polyclinics, insisting no GP surgeries will close as a result of the new centres. Asked whether surgeries would close, Lord Darzi said: “Absolutely not. This is additionally.
“We want patients to have the choice. Patients are telling us that they want better access.”
