Doctors bidding to run new polyclinics

Aug 28 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

DOCTORS are bidding to run three new controversial polyclinics in the North East in a bid to prevent private companies taking over GP services.

The health centres were last night confirmed for the West End of Newcastle, Battle Hill in North Tyneside and Cramlington, Northumberland – the first to be announced for the North East.

Following a public consultation, NHS North of Tyne said the multi-million pound plans would also include two new GP practices in Newcastle, one in Walker and one in the Scotswood/Benwell area.

The services that will be included in the new health centres have not yet been decided, but they will offer walk-in access to a range of primary care and community health services and will be open every day from 8am-8pm.

Doctors have been fighting the introduction of the polyclinics, part of Lord Darzi’s NHS reforms, claiming they are likely to be owned and run by profit-making companies, will undermine hospital services and threaten the future of their GP surgeries.

A bidding process for the developments has already started, and last night health chiefs confirmed that those who have lodged expressions of interest included “local NHS providers”.

The Department of Health has maintained throughout that the new centres are designed to supplement existing services and NHS North of Tyne yesterday said the three polyclinics would be “in addition” to its existing plans for improving health care in the three areas.

Following public consultation, the Newcastle health centre was moved from the Great Park in Gosforth to the West End.

Chris Reed, chief executive of NHS North of Tyne, said: “Public consultation has shown that many people welcome these new developments in terms of the greater flexibility they will provide over when patients can see a GP and the additional health services that will be provided in local areas.

“These new facilities will now be developed in five areas, which for a range of reasons will benefit from having additional new health services.”

Ashington GP Jane Lothian, secretary of the Northumberland Local Medical Committee, last night said she was aware of GPs who had submitted bids to run the centres.

She said the belief that private firms would run the facilities was “a fairly widely accepted interpretation of what’s going on”.

But Dr Lothian said: “There have been bids put in from local health care providers, including GPs. What we don’t know is whether they’re going to be chosen.

“Cramlington already has four very good practices which are well-established and provide an extremely high-quality service to Cramlington residents.

“A number of GPs are concerned that something meant to benefit the community will benefit only a small proportion of it.

“But we would like to be positive. There are primary services that are much-needed to benefit the entire county.”