Hammersmith & Fulham Save Our NHS (HAFSON) campaigners in North West London have told The Lowdown of a brewing row over leaked plans to force through a wholesale reorganisation of primary care services that would exclude GPs from almost all provision of ‘same day’ GP care for over 2 million people across the Integrated Care System.
Patient participation groups, local GPs and Londonwide LMCs, the body representing GPs across London have all reacted angrily to the revelation that in just 13 weeks the new proposals are to be bulldozed through, fundamentally changing the way people can contact their GP.
According to an ICB Briefing Pack sent to the 45 NW London Primary Care Networks (PCNs) at the end of January, the new system would establish “Same Day Access Hubs,” each covering one or more PCNs.
Patients who select ‘same day’ as an option when ringing their own GP would be diverted through to the local hub, each of which would be staffed by a non-clinical care coordinator who would assign the patients for treatment to a team consisting of three “prescribing Advanced Nursing Practitioners or Physician Associates” (or suitable alternative staff) plus a “prescribing pharmacist” and a “social prescriber” – all overseen by a senior supervising GP.
Full story in The Lowdown, 15 February 2024