12:22pm Monday 8th March 2010
By Eleanor Harding
Commuters in south west London will be able to register with GP surgeries near their workplace, if plans now under consultation are approved.
In a drive to be more convenient and to raise standards, patients would no longer be forced to register with a practice near their house.
Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, visited Wandsworth Medical Centre on Thursday to launch the public consultation.
He said: “This is the right step at the right time, because GP practices and primary care have really improved the range of what they do in the last 10 years.”
Research conducted by the Department of Health showed many patients wanted to register nearer to work, he said, and others wanted to be able to find a practice offering longer opening hours or more services away from their homes.
It is hoped giving patients choice will increase competition between surgeries, thereby driving up standards.
The new plans would also allow low-income patients to access better healthcare.
Surgeries with a good reputation are likely to become oversubscribed, but Mr Burnham denied this would affect patients living nearby.
Instead he hinted that top-performing practices might be expanded.
He said: “It's not about taking people off lists. People who are already on the list can stay. But it means that if the patient wants to move, the money will follow the patient.”
Julia Smeddle, 45, a patient at the centre, said: “I think it's an excellent idea. It widens choice for patients and it's better to have a GP closer to work than where you live.”
However, concerns have been raised over the cost of the measure, as allowing people to register with GPs near both home and work could cost millions more every year.
There are also worries over how home visits would be conducted cost-effectively if GPs lived far away from their patients.
Consultation on the nationwide scheme runs until the end of May. To have your say online, visit gpchoice.dh.gov.uk.
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