Full Story at GP Online, 20 March 2018
The rapid expansion of the GP at Hand service could drive up costs for its local CCG by more than £10m and push it into deficit during 2018/19, NHS officials have warned.
Board papers for Hammersmith and Fulham CCG highlight a risk that ‘the list size growth associated with the GP at Hand practice is not accommodated within the CCG’s core and primary care allocations for 2018/19, creating significant cost pressures resulting in the CCG failing to meet its statutory requirement to deliver financial balance’.
The Lillie Road Medical Centre, where patients register to use the GP at Hand service, has seen its list size grow from 2,500 in April 2017 to 24,652 on 1 March 2018.
The board papers warn that to date 75% of these new patients have been from patients who live outside north-west London. The CCG says the huge influx of patients to the service has driven up its total registered population by around 10% in just 5 months.