UK: Patients can [will be able to] register with GP anywhere they want, says Health Secretary

The Telegraph ^ | 9/16/2009 | Rebecca Smith

[bruinbirdman]

Patients will be able to register with a GP anywhere in the country in a radical move to abolish restrictive catchment areas, Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, will announce.

GP practices often run very tight boundaries and refuse to take patients who live even 100 yards too far away or on the wrong side of the road and people who move house are forced to change their surgery.

But within the next year patients will be able to choose to remain with a favoured doctor when they move house or register with one near work or school if they choose.

Under new plans to be announced in a keynote speech in London Mr Burnham will say GPs will not be able to refuse to take patients because they live too far away.

The changes aim to drive up quality of care by prompting more competition between doctors to attract patients with the most successful practices being able to expand.

Meanwhile patients will have more choice and control over their own healthcare.

The idea was proposed in the review of the NHS led by Sir Ara Darzi, a surgeon and until recently a junior health minister.

It is envisaged that most patients will still want to register with a GP near home for convenience, especially those with long-term illnesses, but some will want to see a doctor near work or family and others may want to remain with a favoured family doctor even when they move house.

Mr Burnham will say: "In this day and age I can see no reason why patients should not be able to choose the GP practice they want.

"Many of us lead hectic lives and health services should be there to make things easier. A busy mum needs flexibility – she may want to register

[bruinbirdman]

Labour is on the verge of catastrophic election losses. They are trying to reverse some disasterous Socialist policies to trick voters.

[DesertConservative]

How kind of the bolsheviks in Britain to issue this diktat to the peasants.

[fightinJAG]

I think our robust debate here, including holding up the NHS as a poor example, may have helped turn the tide a little in dear old Britain.

Good!

[bruinbirdman]

"I think our robust debate here"

This is correct.

There are not enough Socialists in the U.S. to pass legislation.

That's why they are called "subversives".

yitbos

[socialismisinsidious]

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[socialismisinsidious]

Patients will be able to register with a GP anywhere in the country in a radical move to abolish restrictive catchment areas,

It's true. That freedom thing is radical.