In this week's
GP, we reveal the
results of our Valuing General Practice campaign survey. Sadly, some of the figures make for depressing reading.
One in seven of the 276 practices that responded said they were threatened with closure or relocation to a polyclinic.
There was also widespread opposition to government reform, with 90 per cent saying it will damage continuity of care and 92 per cent saying the DoH's polyclinic plans should be abandoned until they have been piloted.
But it was not all bad news. On a more positive note, 3,980 patients signed petitions backing the
aims and objectives of our campaign, and many included statements explaining why they valued general practice.
The results of this aspect of the campaign, which are
also published in this week's GP, are heartening - and will not be any surprise to those who work in general practice.
Whether it is because the practice treats them as an individual, or because they have good relationships with the doctors, nurses and support staff, or simply because it is just down the road and therefore more accessible, the statements show that patients really do value the care and support they receive.
Polyclinics appeared to be particularly unpopular among the elderly and those with young families - perhaps unsurprisingly, because these are the people who use general practice most frequently. What these groups want is a local surgery, that is easy to get to and familiar faces.
Any GP, practice nurse, receptionist or practice manager knows that this is the case. But the government just doesn't seem to get it. It has fixated on access, seeing it as more important than anything else. But, as our petition suggests, this isn't the most important issue for patients.
Yes, many members of the public might want to see a doctor or nurse more quickly, but this does not make the case for rushing wholesale towards establishing a network of polyclinics. There are other ways improved access could be achieved.
It seems that the DoH has already cottoned onto the fact that ‘polyclinics' are unpopular among health professionals and patients alike. According to GPC chairman Dr Laurence Buckman the term has been barred from the NHS. ‘The word has gone out from Number 10 never to use the word,' he says. ‘It's seen as a vote loser.'
If that's the case, perhaps it is time that prime minister Gordon Brown reviewed the whole policy and started to value the fantastic job that general practices across the UK do every day.