Doctors call SOS

6th March 2008

• Pictured: Doctors and a nurse outside the Axbridge Surgery.

AXBRIDGE GPs are urging patients to protest against Government plans, which they say threaten family doctor service.

Doctors have launched the Save Our Surgeries (SOS) campaign to get the Government to rethink plans to set up large practices known as polyclinics.

The large clinics would be a one-stop shop for patients and stay open during weekends.

But doctors fear they could take patients away from small, rural surgeries and would offer a less personal service.

Visitors could end up seeing a different GP each time, rather than a family doctor who is familiar with a patient’s history.

They could also be run by businesses, which Axbridge doctors fear would prioritise profit rather than patient care.

Hundreds of Axbridge and Wedmore Medical Practice patients have already written to Gordon Brown, protesting against the policies, which will be enforced from April 1.

Petition slips to send to the Prime Minister are available in the Axbridge Surgery reception, in Houlgate Way, and posters about the campaign have been put up inside the building as well.

The posters read: “Even though there is no shortage of doctors’ surgeries locally, the Government is also insisting that a new surgery is opened somewhere in Somerset. The private company running this will be given NHS money to set it up, probably about a million pounds, so it can operate seven days a week.

“If this new surgery is opened up near to us, this practice may be forced out of business.”

The new polyclinics will be funded with money from the existing primary care trust funding and will be able to operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Dr Ewart Jackson-Voyzey, a GP at Axbridge Surgery, said: “The Government is enforcing a one-size fits all policy, but what is appropriate in a large city is not necessarily the best solution for more rural counties such as ours.

“Surgeries will be unable to match polyclinic opening hours without perhaps compromising the existing service, all because some of their funding has been taken away. Many may cease to survive.”
A Somerset PCT spokesman said: “The trust is already working closely with GPs to extend opening hours, which is a national policy and reflects public demand.

“There are no plans to cut funding in Somerset.”

Factbox:

• In a survey, 86 per cent of people in Somerset who were asked said they were happy with their doctor’s opening hours.

• Under the Government reforms, all primary care trusts will have to set up a new 8am-8pm, seven-days-a-week practice. Somerset PCT has to agree the new contract by December 2008.

• The polyclinics will be run by several doctors and offer specialist services usually only available in hospitals.

• The proposals are by health minister Lord Darzi, who wants to see a larger number of GPs working under the same roof, rather than small surgeries.