GPs to blame - again

Ben Bradhsaw has accused me and my colleagues of operating a gentleman's agreement to stop patient's having the choice of practice.

Of course he doesn't actually offer up any particular evidence of this.

But he's a Minister, so it must be true.

Quite why he hasn't advised the Competition Commission of the facts that he obviously has to hand I don't know. Agreements of that nature would be a serious breach of the law. Indeed our current contract regulates us such that, assuming we have an open list, we must register anyone within our practice area who wants to register. If our list is closed, we can't take on new patients. That's it, nothing complicated.

Unfortunately the BMA response has been less than robust, describing his comments as "nonsense", rather than "libellous" which is probably what I would have said.

Its all part of the "choice" agenda that they are pushing so hard. If patient's have choice, all will be well with the world. I keep saying it, but patients are less concerned with choice and more concerned with good, local services.

But that doesn't fit in with the current agenda to get private companies involved in health care, particularly Primary Care (for which read General Practice).

And as for the practice in the South of England with only 2 patients.

Really, Ben?

Where is it then?

No?

Put up : evidence in public of these agreements, evidence that GPs are restricting choice, give it to us, make it public.

Or shut up.