I have read a draft version of your Primary Care Commissioning Intentions for London 2014/15 London Region (v 1.1) and the following caught my eye:
….access to primary care services continues to be problematic for many Londoners. We are sure that the reaction and response to Call to Action will enable us to develop plans to improve access and the patient’s experience of access. Already, as part of the GP contract settlement for 2014/15, we will see a number of changes designed to improve access:
- Choice of GP practice. From October 2014, all GP practices will be able to register from outside their traditional boundary areas without a duty to provide home visits. This will give members of the public greater freedom to choose the GP practice that best meets their needs. Area Teams will need to arrange in-hours urgent medical care when needed at or near home for patients who register with a practice away from home.
Can you explain how boundary-free general practice is going to improve patient access? Here in Tower Hamlets we cannot see how this will help.
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