Dear John Pugh, Paul Burstow, and Baroness Jolly,
I emailed Liberal Democrat MPs with a question about GP practice boundaries (see below). One of your MPs emailed me to say I should address my question to the Lib Dems health team, and gave me your contact details.
Briefly, I am a GP in Tower Hamlets. I was appalled when the policy to abolish GP practice boundaries was broached in 2009; quite simply because looking after patients who live at a distance from the practice does not work (we have over the years struggled with this), and is at times dangerous; and there are a number of other reasons why it is a very stupid idea. All three major parties supported this idea.
In March 2010, I asked Andrew Lansley, then shadow minister for health, if he had any documentation to show that he had done some sort of risk assessment of this policy. In the reply that I eventually obtained, it was evident that no assessment had been made.
For the record, did the Liberal Democrat Party carry out any risk assessment or feasibility study about this issue? If yes, may I please have a copy of the documentation showing this? If not, why not?
Best wishes,
George
The Tredegar Practice, 35 St Stephens Road LondonE3 5JD
Copy by Royal Mail to Baroness Jolly; and copies in post to John Pugh and Paul Burstow