Expert questions 'polyclinic' plan

12 April 2012

A leading medical expert has expressed reservations about the Government's drive to move some hospital services into new "polyclinics".

The clinics - which will house a number of services under one roof - have come under fire over fears they will fail to provide value for money or offer patients continuity of care.

This week a poll of 300 GPs for medical newspaper Pulse found that 85% believed they will damage patient care.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Professor Martin Roland, director of the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, argues that the NHS goal of increased patient choice requires more high quality practices, not the small number of large practices that some polyclinic models suggest.

Some medical experts fear polyclinics could be made up of dozens of GPs, but Professor Roland says the UK system of patients seeing the same GP "must be retained", even though patients may "occasionally" consult other practitioners such as a doctor near their work.

The Manchester University academic goes on to say some models for polyclinics may involve taking specialists out of hospitals. He warns specialists "may be less efficient when deployed outside hospitals".

He writes: "Primary care trusts have already been told to start setting up polyclinics, but I think the Government has to rethink its approach."

Professor Roland goes on to argue that even when government policies deliver the results they set out to achieve, there can be unintended consequences.

He says that strategies designed to reduce waiting times to see GPs have made it more difficult for patients to book in advance.

Health Minister Lord Darzi said: "We are not imposing polyclinics on anyone. The 150 health centres announced in the NHS Next Stage Review Interim Report are additional, new capacity, and we have not suggested merging small practices."

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