The scale and weight of GP antagonism towards plans in North West London to roll out a system of “same day access hubs” that would make minimal use of GPs (see Lowdown February 15) has forced the Integrated Care Board (ICB) into a limited retreat.
A letter to GPs from ‘NW London Primary Care’ dated February 19 sets out to “explain and reframe some of the language that we have been using,” and admits:
“We now appreciate that we have not explained clearly enough what our intention is around our aspiration to support same day care for patients in NW London. As a result we acknowledge that many myths have arisen…”
The letter goes on to insist: “We would never ask colleagues to do something that we felt was unsafe or unachievable.” But of course the problem was that whatever the primary care bosses may have thought, many NW London GPs believe what they were being asked to do by the ICB is unsafe and unachievable, and so do patient groups.
Full story in The Lowdown, 27 February 2024