Thousands of GP practices could face closure as Government plans to create 1,500 ‘super-hubs’ across England
Health minister David Mowat lifts lid on plans to move 7,500 GP practice into 1,500 super-hubs across England
THOUSANDS of GP practices could shut as services move into 1,500 “super hubs” in England.
Trials show 40,000-patient centres work better than the 7,500 existing sites with around 7,000 on their books.
Health minister David Mowat lifted the lid on the ongoing revolution as he revealed bigger practices were employing pharmacists and physios and doing “more things at scale” than surgeries with just a couple of GPs.
He said: “Increasingly . . . we are finding that it’s working better putting GP practices into hubs of 35,000 to 40,000 people.”
Mr Mowat told a debate in London that it would be a “long road” due to the time it takes to roll out new GP contracts.
Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said new ways of working were necessary to cope with a growing and ageing population.
Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said care could suffer if practices became “huge”.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
He said: “It is vital surgeries remain a close connection with the community they serve, so patients are able to build up a relationship with their GP.”
The Department of Health said the hubs were merges “not surgery closures” and many were already working together to support larger populations.
The Modality Partnership is a GP group in the West Midlands with almost 400 staff serving more than 95,000 patients.
Chief exec Dr Naresh Rati said: “We’re shaping the way primary care will be delivered in the future.”
The cost of an NHS prescription in England will rise by 20p to £8.60 from April 1, it was announced yesterday.
A&E WAIT RISES
FOUR-hour waits at A&E rose almost 400 per cent in three years at some units, stats show.
Nationwide, 2.2million patients waited at least four hours, up from 1.1million in 2013-14.
North Middlesex Uni Hospital had the biggest hike — 380 per cent. The Royal College for Emergency Medicine blamed the “large and systemic problem” on a beds shortage.
NHS chiefs said a lack of social care places meant more patients taking up hospital beds.