GP - LMCs boycott practice boundary pilots in London
A story outlining concerns the chairs of four East London LMCs have with the Government’s planned boundary pilots and their plans to boycott it.
In a letter to their constituent practices, Dr Deborah Colvin, chair of City and Hackney LMC, Dr Kambiz Boomla, chair of City and East London LMC, Dr Prakash Chandra, chair of Newham LMC and Dr Sella Shanmugadasan, chair of Tower Hamlets LMC said they had ‘grave concerns’ with the DH guidance.
An extract from the letter reads: ‘‘In the current financial climate, making Tower Hamlets PCT and City and Hackney PCT absorb all costs relating to commuters registering with practices under the scheme can only have the effect of reducing the amount of funding available to your existing patients. This will inevitably result in cuts to services to existing patients, as PCTs have a legal duty to balance their budgets.'
‘We believe it is unacceptable for patients in two of the most deprived PCTs in the country to have funding for their services cut in order to fund this pilot. We believe that protecting our services to our existing patients must be our greatest priority.'
The full letter can be read on the GP website.
The story was also covered in the following publications:
- East London Lines (29.04.12) GPs urged to boycott government health pilot
- Hackney Gazette (26.04.12) Row blocks better access to GPs
- Pulse (20.04.12) LMCs stage boycott of practice boundary pilots
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