Hundreds of pages of guidance on polyclinics buried in an obscure section of the Department of Health website reveal the true threat to local GP surgeries.
The guidance shows:
- Labour is planning to end the era of independent, local GP surgeries in almost every area
- Existing GPs are to be left out of the planning for polyclinics
- The Department of Health has advised Primary Care Trusts on ways to avoid consulting local people on polyclinics
Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, said:
“These Government documents show that Labour plan the destruction of the family doctor service as we know it and its replacement by large polyclinic style contractors.”
And he warned that “the independence of GPs and their ability to manage care for their patients” would be lost under Labour’s polyclinic plans.