RCGP response to NHS Confederation report on
polyclinics
17.04.08
The NHS Confederation report reaffirms the
importance of the federated model in bringing about improvements in
patient care, as outlined in the
RCGP Roadmap of last year.
The RCGP is not opposed to polyclinics per se
and acknowledges that they could work well in certain areas of the
country particularly in those areas where investment in buildings
and infrastructure is needed.
However, as we point out in the Roadmap,
general practice is the key to raising standards of quality care
for all patients in all areas of the country and its unique
strengths – the GP-patient relationship, continuity of care and
lifelong care – should be recognised and built on to create a
stronger NHS.
Federations of GP practices are already
working well in some areas of the country and some good group
practices are already providing many of the services (even
optometry) suggested in the NHS Confederation report. We should
support smaller practices to ensure that they can become part of
larger federations, providing a wider range of services to
people in their local communities so that patients are sent to
hospital only where absolutely necessary.
Our main criticism is the emphasis on
continuity of information rather than continuity of care, which is
one of the core values of general practice, but we are not unduly
concerned as the argument is not appropriately evidence based but
is largely derived from national media coverage
The RCGP supports a move towards health
promotion and preventative care whilst we continue to promote the
need for high quality generalist care wherever people live in the
UK.
Patient care – and providing patients with the
information they need about their health services today and in the
future – is the most important issue so any attempt to provide
clearer understanding of NHS reform is welcome, and which is why we
are publishing our own patient fact sheets on Lord Darzi’s review
including one on polyclinics.
Professor Steve Field, RCGP
Chairman
ends
For more information please call the
RCGP press office on 020 7344 3135/3136/3137/3129 or email
press@rcgp.org.uk